Pope Francis: US bishops show 'courage' over Catholic church sex abuse crisis

By Stephanie Kirchgaessner
Guardian
September 23, 2015

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/23/pope-francis-us-catholic-church-sex-abuse-scandal-bishops

Pope Francis has hailed US bishops for their handling of the sexual abuse crisis that has rocked the Catholic church for decades, saying they had shown “courage” throughout and regained the authority and the trust which was demanded of them.

In rare remarks about the string of scandals that first emerged in the mid-1980s, Pope Francis stopped short of addressing the victims of clerical abuse, focusing instead on the pain that had been inflicted on the bishops who were left to weather the storm.

“I am also conscious of the courage with which you have faced difficult moments in the recent history of the church in this country without fear of self-criticism and at the cost of mortification and great sacrifice,” he said.

He then commended the bishops for being ready to sell off church property and assets in order to pay for settlements with abuse victims. “Nor have you been afraid to divest whatever is unessential in order to regain the authority and trust which is demanded of ministers of Christ and rightly expected by the faithful,” he said.

Between 2004 and 2013, US diocese paid $1.7bn in legal settlements, according to a report released last year by the US Conference on Catholic Bishops. In that same period, it also paid $379m in legal fees.

“I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims – in the knowledge that in healing we too are healed – and to work to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated,” he continued, prompting a round of applause from the assembled bishops.

Pope Francis’s brief remarks prompted an angry response from activists at Snap (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests), the most vocal advocacy group for abuse victims.

“We’re sad that Francis claims US bishops have shown ‘courage’ in the abuse crisis. Almost without exception, they have shown cowardice and callousness and continue to do so now,” said Barbara Dorris, the group’s victims outreach director.

“They offer excuses, exploit legal technicalities and hide behind expensive lawyers and public relations professionals, hardly the marks of courage,” she said.

“We’re also sad that Francis can’t bring himself to call this crisis what it is – not ‘difficult moments in recent history’, but the continuing cover-up of clergy child sex crimes by almost the entire church hierarchy.”

While Francis has sought to take steps to increase the church’s accountability, some victims’ advocacy groups say there is much more the church needs to do.

An estimate calculated by BishopAccountability.org found that there have been at least 17,200 victims of clerical abuse in the US.

The abuse scandals in the US, as in other countries around the world, did not only implicate pedophile priests but also the bishops and cardinals who protected them, and in many cases allowed them to prey on more young victims.

Pope Francis’s remarks were made to hundreds of bishops that were assembled for the pope’s remarks in St Matthew’s cathedral in Washington DC, where he delivered his homily in Italian.

The speech was notable because it included only a passing reference to abortion, an issue that has for decades been seen as one of the church’s most important issues.

He said an aborted life was an “innocent victim”, like many other kinds of victims: children who die of hunger or in war, immigrants in search of a better tomorrow, the elderly or sick who are seen as a burden, victims of terrorism, drug trafficking, and man’s “predatory relationship with nature”.

“It is wrong, then, to look the other way or remain silent,” he said.

In the speech, Pope Francis called on US bishops to overcome their differences and present a gentler and more understanding face to the faithful, especially those who have views they disagree with.

It was a striking call for unity within the American Catholic church – which has struggled under similar partisan divisions that have embroiled American politics.

“The world is already so torn and divided, brokenness is now everywhere. Consequently, the church – the seamless garment of the Lord – cannot allow herself to be ... broken or fought over,” Francis told a gathering of about 400 US bishops, who congregated at St Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington DC.

Among Francis’s audience were bishops who have sometimes felt uncomfortable and confused by the direction Francis is taking the Catholic church, particularly his constant focus on those who live on the margins of society. The Catholic church in the US has traditionally been a cheerleader for capitalism and has staunchly defended the church’s social teaching.

In his remarks, the pope clearly sought to put his flock of bishops at ease, since many will have expected some critical words.

“I have not come to judge you or to lecture you,” he said, before offering up his advice and suggestions on how the bishops ought to live their faith and lead the church.

Above all, he argued that dialogue was “our method”.

“Do not be afraid to set out on that exodus which is necessary for all authentic dialogue,” he said. “Otherwise we fail to understand the thinking of others, or to realize deep down that the brother or sister we wish to reach and redeem, with the power and closeness of love, counts more than their positions, distant as they may be from what we hold as true.”

To emphasize the point he added: “Harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor, it has no place in his heart; although it may momentarily seem to win the day, on the enduring allure of goodness and love remains truly convincing.”

The pope ended his speech with two recommendations. First, he called on the bishops, the most senior representatives of his church in the US, to first be pastors.

“Be pastors close to people, pastors who are neighbors and servants,” he said.

He called on them to support their priests, and not let them “be content with half-measures”.

“Find ways to encourage their spiritual growth, lest they yield to the temptation to become notaries and bureaucrats,” he said.

It was ultimately their job, he added, to “care for, soothe, lift up and assist those who, by chance, find themselves stripped of all they thought they had”.

He ended with a rousing call in defense of immigrants. For the second time in a day, he referred to himself as one, following earlier remarks at the White House.

“I ask you to excuse me if in some way I am pleading my own case,” he said.

“Today, no American institution does more for immigrants than your Christian communities,” he said, before adding that the bishops were facing a “stream of Latin immigration”.

Thanking the bishops – not only as pope, but as a “pastor from the south” – he said he felt the need to “thank and encourage” them in their work with immigrants.

“Perhaps it will not be easy for you to look into their soul; perhaps you will be challenged by their diversity,” he said. “But know that they also possess resources meant to be shared. So do not be afraid to welcome them.”