Pope Francis prayed with victims of pedophile priests on Monday, begged for their forgiveness and vowed that the church will “weep and make reparation” for these long-ignored crimes.
Francis celebrated a private Mass with three male and three female European victims, in the first of several extraordinary meetings aimed at healing wounds created by the church’s inaction against sexually abusive clergy.
“I beg your forgiveness, too, for the sins of omission on the part of church leaders who did not respond adequately,” the pope said.
“This led to even greater suffering on the part of those who were abused and it endangered other minors who were at risk.”
Francis met on Sunday night with the victims — two each from Britain, Ireland and Germany — before celebrating Mass on Monday. He later met them individually at his apartment to hear of their experiences.
The Vatican did not release names of Monday’s worshipers, but Irish victim Marie Kane identified herself to the Irish Independent newspaper.
In her private meeting with the pope, Kane was accompanied by Irish abuse activist Marie Collins and Boston Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, who served as translator.
“It was pretty amazing,” Kane told the Irish Independent. “He [Pope Francis] is really humble. There was no pomp or ceremony and plus he is not really tall, so he is not towering over you which is really nice. He holds eye contact very well.”
Kane said she made it clear to Francis that old-guard church leaders, who turned a blind eye to abuse, must be held accountable. She targeted Cardinal Sean Brady of Ireland as one of the alleged bigwigs who failed to act.
“Until people like Sean Brady are gone, I will never believe that there is change and I said that to Pope Francis and he understood that,” she said. “He heard what I said and understood where I was coming from.”
In the pope’s comments, reported by the Vatican, Francis expressed “sorrow” for the “sins and grave crimes” perpetrated by pedophile priests.
“For some time now I have felt in my heart deep pain and suffering,” Francis said. “So much time hidden, camouflaged with a complicity that cannot be explained until someone realized that Jesus was looking.”
The church “betrayed” the faithful by failing to act against sexually abusive priests, Francis said.
“I ask for the grace to weep, the grace for the church to weep and make reparation for her sons and daughters who betrayed their mission, who abused innocent persons,” he said.
“Before God and his people I express my sorrow for the sins and grave crimes of clerical sexual abuse committed against you. And I humbly ask forgiveness.”
With Post Wire Services