UNITED STATES
Fox News Latino
By Johnny Vega
Published September 28, 2015
Fox News Latino
When I heard that the pope was coming to the United States, and specifically, to the New York area, I felt anxious. I am a survivor of clergy abuse. A priest and deacon at our neighborhood church abused me and other youths when I was just 9 years old — until I was 16.
I felt confused about my mixed feelings about Pope Francis.
I liked his humble ways, I felt his sincerity toward those who were abused by clergy, but I still couldn’t trust completely. Is he true to his heart and words? Is he a man of God who really cares about children abused by priests, and does he really want to put a stop to it?
I think, I hope, yes.
I feel confident and trusting about Pope Francis because never once did he ignore this issue of sexual abuse by priests in parishes around the world.
Some of his statements, to be sure, fall a little short of the truth when he speaks of bishops having “courage” for confronting this issue and selling church property to settle lawsuits to bring closure to victims — that is so far from the truth.
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