Vatican responds to priest abuse scandal with "shame and sorrow"
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Two days after a report revealed allegations that more than 300 Catholic priests in Pennsylvania had sexually abused over 1,000 children, the Vatican released a statement condemning the priests' actions saying, "There are two words that can express the feelings faced with these horrible crimes: shame and sorrow," according to Fox News.
Why it matters: Pressure on the Pope to respond had been escalating since the Pennsylvania grand jury's report was released on Tuesday. The Vatican's statement said that they take the report "with great seriousness." It adds, "[t]he abuses described in the report are criminal and morally reprehensible. Those acts were betrayals of trust that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith."
The bottom line: It's too late for legal action against most predatory priests
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The more than 1,000 victims of child sexual abuse by Pennsylvanian Catholic priests are unlikely to see justice carried out on their oppressors, as the revelations from a grand jury's damning report have likely surfaced too late for any legal repercussions.
The bottom line: For abuse cases in Pennsylvania, a child victim has until they are 30-years-old to sue or until 50-years-old to file criminal charges, according to the New York Times. A majority of the allegations in the report occurred decades ago and only 2 priests are facing criminal charges at this point.
The grand jury recommended that the statute of limitation laws be changed and waived for two years for victims of the priests.
"No piece of legislation can predict the point at which a victim of child sex abuse will find the strength to come forward."
— Pennsylvania Grand Jury
What to watch: There is currently a bill before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives that would raise the age to 50 for victims to sue their abuser, and eliminate the time limit for criminal prosecution in sexual abuse cases entirely. The Republican House Majority Leader has said that he expects to schedule a vote on the bill this fall, according to CNN.
The other side: The church has lobbied against these efforts, according to the Times. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, which is the public affairs agency of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and dioceses, has argued the legislation would "lead to the closure of parishes, schools, and ministries of today’s Catholics, who are in no way responsible for abuse that occurred decades ago."
The big picture: Only Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming have completely eliminated statutes of limitations for felony sex crimes.
Vatican expresses "shame and sorrow" over Pennsylvania coverup
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Following the revelation that hundreds of Catholic priests in Pennsylvania had sexually abused more than 1,000 children over decades, the Vatican did not comment for 2 days and at least one bishop has denied that there was a coverup.
Why it matters: In a detailed report, the Pennsylvania grand jury not only uncovered a series of abusive behavior by priests, many of whom have since died or left the ministry, but also ongoing efforts by those in authority to belittle and cover up these incidents.
The bottom line: While many clergymen have expressed their disappointment with the church and sympathy for the victims, most have also stressed the fact that the abuse happened years ago, defended the church's current protection of children and pointed out where they see inaccuracies in the report. Few have addressed the culture of secrecy that allowed abuse to continue, often unchecked.
Key quotefrom the grand jury: "Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all. For decades. Monsignors, auxiliary bishops, bishops, archbishops, cardinals have mostly been protected; many, including some named in this report, have been promoted."
The response:
The Vatican's press office originally said they had no comment, but on Thursday afternoon released the statement, "There are two words that can express the feelings faced with these horrible crimes: shame and sorrow," according to Fox News.
Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh said in a conference that “there was no cover-up going on. I think that it’s important to be able to state that. We have over the course of the last 30 years, for sure, been transparent about everything that has in fact been transpiring,” according to the New York Times.
Bishop Edward C. Malesic of Greensburgsaid in his homily that he is "ashamed by what some of our priests did in the past," and that the fact that some known child abusers became bishops “is a cause of shame for us.” He later added that "the grand jury report describes the church of 30, 50, even more than 70 years ago... It does not paint an accurate picture of the church in which we pray and find comfort today.”
Chancellor and General Counsel Kim Viti Fiorentino of the Archdiocese of Washington said in an interview with the Catholic Standard that the revelations have "profoundly saddened us, and are causing us to reflect on whether more could have been done." But she also suggested the report had been overblown without context, pointing out that more than 5,000 priests served in Pennsylvania during the time the report was being produced. She also described the investigative process as "flawed."
Bishop Alfred A. Schlert of Allentownwrote a letter to his parishioners apologizing for "the past sins and crimes committed by some of the members of the clergy":"Abuse is abhorrent and has no place in the Church, or anywhere in society. Most of the incidents date back decades. The offending priests are no longer in active ministry, are laicized (defrocked), or are deceased," Schlert wrote.
