DUBLIN (IRELAND)
Crux
August 23, 2018
By Elise Harris
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago is one of the few American prelates making an appearance at this week’s World Meeting of Families in Dublin, after both Cardinals Donald Wuerl of Washington and Sean O’Malley of Boston withdrew due to abuse-related scandals.
Amid fears that after the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report the Church in the United States could face a new eruption of the abuse crisis, Cupich acknowledged that “a lot of damage has been done” to the faith of believers, but the primary focus should be the wellbeing of the victims and not the Church’s reputation.
Speaking to Crux, Cupich said his first concern “is not my credibility or the bishops’ credibility. My first concern is that it’s damaged the faith lives of people.”
“If it’s damaged our credibility, then we have to do something about it, but my major concern is that we need to focus our attention on the damage it does to people’s faith lives. Also, [the focus should be on] the hurt that’s revisited victims as a result of this. This is something we as Church leaders should be concerned about, not our own skin,” he said.
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