PITTSBURGH (PA)
Tribune Review
December 7, 2018
By Jamie Martines
For healing to take place, a wound must be opened and inspected, according to Bishop David Zubik.
“And I think that happened tonight,” he said Thursday following the fourth and final listening session held by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Not everyone agreed.
“The bishop is sitting there expressionless and emotionless, and I don’t think he’s listening,” said Christine Saitta of Bethel Park, as she called for him to resign.
The meeting at St. Ferdinand Church in Cranberry Township was preceded by three other sessions held in Aliquippa, Jefferson Hills and Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood over the past week. They were an open forum for members of the Catholic community to share comments, reflections and questions about the Pennsylvania grand jury report on sexual abuse, released in August, directly with Zubik.
Similar listening sessions were held throughout the Greensburg Diocese in recent weeks.
As he did three times before, Zubik sat in a chair in front of the altar, shifting his body to face speakers lined up along the pews on either side of St. Ferdinand Church. Over about three hours, at least 30 people took to the microphone.
Some shared personal stories of abuse at the hands of clergy or other adults working in Catholic churches, schools or other facilities. Others thanked Zubik for his service to the church and urged him to continue supporting victims of abuse, while several criticized the bishop and implored him to resign.
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