Editorial: A heartfelt confession in
Portland
What I do this evening is to call sin sin.
There is no mystery why those words stand out in the text of
Bishop Joseph J. Gerrys recent apology to victims of sex abuse by some of
the priests of the Portland, Maine, diocese.
Some of our priests have abused minors, and that is
wrong, said Gerry, during an April 20 service of healing and
reconciliation.
The sex abuse scandal has been an ugly and destructive chapter in
church history made worse by the lack of candid response and openness on the
part of church authorities. Gerrys plain plea for forgiveness honors the
deepest and best instincts of our sacramental tradition.
The words are clear, uncluttered and unqualified. They have the
sound of a heartfelt confession of sin, not a lawyer-scripted sound-byte for
public relations purposes.
In fact, Gerry had, the week before, issued a letter of apology
for sexual abuse of minors by some priests in the diocese as mandated by a
court settlement with a victim.
The special healing and reconciliation service at Portlands
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, however, was not required by the
settlement.
In his talk at the cathedral, Gerry spoke with the directness and
remorse that has so often been missing from the churchs dealings with
victims of clergy sex abuse. He seemed to deliberately clear away the
obfuscations that too often accompany the limited conversation that occurs in
the church over the issue.
We do not come before the Lord this night to attempt to
rationalize our guilt away or to blame present societal trends, Gerry
said. We come to lay before the Lord honestly and sincerely what we know
to have been a grave disorder, a serious abuse of trust and the cause of an
indelible scar on the victims.
Enough is enough, some might say. It is time to get beyond this
scandal; no use dwelling on the negative.
But Gerry not only sees the need to revisit past failures but also
to refer to the service at the cathedral as a single small step in order
to make public reparation to the victims of sexual abuse by priests for the
harm they have suffered.
A central point he made is that, Saying this publicly is not
saying something new, but it is saying it for everyone to hear. At the same
time, he continued, by saying it so publicly, if, God forbid, it
should ever happen in the future, no one upon hearing it should ever begin by
denying the possibility of such a thing occurring, but should bring the matter
to the attention of those in authority and make sure adequate steps are taken
immediately.
Gerrys actions represent, we dare say, more than a small
step in the right direction.
I cannot bring you any great consolation, he told the
more than 200 attending the service. As much as Id like, I cannot
wave a wand and have it all disappear.
Some of your peers, bishop, have tried to act as if some magic
could make the pain disappear. You did better than that. You made a humble and
honest public acknowledgment of the pain that victims have suffered, and you
asked forgiveness.
National Catholic Reporter, May 15,
1998
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