 Pope John Paul II (AP / CBS) The U.S. is not the only part of the world where the Catholic Church has been battling sex abuse problems. Confirmed cases and allegations have also turned up in countries including Ireland, England, France, Australia, and Poland.  |
(CBS) Pope John Paul II
on Thursday broke his silence on the sex abuse cases rocking the Roman Catholic
Church, saying the "grave scandal" was casting a "dark shadow of suspicion" over
all priests.
In an annual message to priests worldwide, the pope said "as priests we are personally and profoundly afflicted by the sins of some of our brothers who have betrayed the grace of ordination."
He said they had succumbed "to the most grievous forms" of what he called, using the Latin phrase, "mystery of evil."
"Grave scandal is caused, with the result that a dark shadow of suspicion is cast over all the other fine priests who perform their ministry with honesty and integrity and often with heroic self-sacrifice," the pope said.
John Paul said the Church "shows her concern for the victims and strives to respond in truth and justice to each of these painful situations."
It was the first time the pope publicly addressed the issue since widescale accusations of sexual misconduct by priests surfaced in the United States in recent months. The accusations have led to the resignation of one bishop, from Palm Beach, Florida, and tarnished the reputation of Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston for failing to take action against a child-molesting priest.
There have also been scandals elsewhere and the problem has worldwide implications for the Church.
In January, the Catholic Church in Ireland agreed to a landmark $110 million payment to children abused by clergy over decades. More than 20 priests, brothers and nuns have been convicted of molesting children.
Sexual abuse cases involving cover-ups have also been reported in England, France and Australia, among other countries.
John Paul has been described as particularly saddened by sexual harassment allegations leveled against the archbishop of Poznan in the pope's native Poland. Archbishop Juliusz Paetz, who worked with John Paul at the Vatican and was sent by him to Poland in 1982, denied the allegations in a letter read in parishes last Sunday.
For years, the Vatican viewed such reports as attempts to discredit the church or as part of an orchestrated campaign against celibacy .
In other developments this week in the sex abuse scandal:
In an annual message to priests worldwide, the pope said "as priests we are personally and profoundly afflicted by the sins of some of our brothers who have betrayed the grace of ordination."
He said they had succumbed "to the most grievous forms" of what he called, using the Latin phrase, "mystery of evil."
"Grave scandal is caused, with the result that a dark shadow of suspicion is cast over all the other fine priests who perform their ministry with honesty and integrity and often with heroic self-sacrifice," the pope said.
John Paul said the Church "shows her concern for the victims and strives to respond in truth and justice to each of these painful situations."
It was the first time the pope publicly addressed the issue since widescale accusations of sexual misconduct by priests surfaced in the United States in recent months. The accusations have led to the resignation of one bishop, from Palm Beach, Florida, and tarnished the reputation of Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston for failing to take action against a child-molesting priest.
There have also been scandals elsewhere and the problem has worldwide implications for the Church.
In January, the Catholic Church in Ireland agreed to a landmark $110 million payment to children abused by clergy over decades. More than 20 priests, brothers and nuns have been convicted of molesting children.
Sexual abuse cases involving cover-ups have also been reported in England, France and Australia, among other countries.
John Paul has been described as particularly saddened by sexual harassment allegations leveled against the archbishop of Poznan in the pope's native Poland. Archbishop Juliusz Paetz, who worked with John Paul at the Vatican and was sent by him to Poland in 1982, denied the allegations in a letter read in parishes last Sunday.
For years, the Vatican viewed such reports as attempts to discredit the church or as part of an orchestrated campaign against celibacy .
In other developments this week in the sex abuse scandal:
Cardinal Edward Egan, leader of the Archdiocese
of New York, made his first statement on the scandal on Tuesday. He vowed to
investigate all accusations of molestation by priests, but stopped short of
saying that the archdiocese would report to law enforcement all such
allegations. He did, however, encourage anyone with an accusation to go directly
to the authorities.
© MMII, CBS Worldwide Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Close Window to Return to TBC Web
Site