Bishops commit to Friday prayer and fasting for clergy abuse victims

By Kevin J. Jones
Dublin, Ireland, Mar 23, 2011 (EWTN News)

The Catholic Bishops of Ireland have committed themselves to prayer and fasting on the first Friday of each month in reparation for abuse by clergy and the failure of Church leadership to respond to the crimes.
These actions will “renew our commitment to the tradition of Friday penance with a particular emphasis on remembering the suffering of those who have been abused,” the bishops wrote in their March 19 pastoral letter “Towards Healing and Renewal.”
The abuse of children by some priests and religious was “an appalling wrong,” they said, adding that the inadequate response from Church leaders has “left a deep wound that may never be fully healed.”
“We are deeply ashamed of this and we are profoundly sorry for any failures on our part,” the bishops said.
Bishop Colm O’Reilly of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, in his March 19 homily at the Cathedral Centre in Longford, also discussed the letter.
“Placing confidence in the power of prayer, the bishops renew their commitment to restoration of the trust, seriously damaged by abuse and our failure to deal with it,” he said.
Only someone who knows the “ache in the heart” caused by abuse can fully appreciate the kind of struggle abuse survivors face day after day, he added. However, Christians should never consider themselves “doomed to isolation.”
“Most importantly, we are never condemned to be cut off from God,” Bishop O’Reilly said. He invoked the example of St. Patrick, who knew “the intense pain of isolation” in his time as a young slave in Ireland.
Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, said the 16-page bishops’ letter was “a very important pastoral document.”
“It represents part of a wider response and longer journey by the Church in offering its support to survivors of abuse on their journey to healing and peace, and in committing itself to renewal,” he commented on March 19.
The pastoral letter was published on the first anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s pastoral letter to Ireland which apologized to victims of abuse. It recommits the Irish bishops to existing initiatives for victims and commits them to several new ones.
The Irish bishops also stressed the importance of responding to the crisis with prayer, which they called an “essential part of the journey to healing and renewal.”
“Many survivors have told us how much they value the prayers that are offered for them by individuals and parish communities,” the bishops wrote.
They invited contemplative orders in Ireland to dedicate part of their daily life of prayer for abuse victims. They also encouraged all parish communities to offer public and private prayer for the same victims.
The Irish bishops also noted the power of the Christian liturgy’s themes of consolation, healing and support for those who have experienced pain and loss. They will ask a group including sexual abuse victims to outline a proposal for liturgies of lament, atonement and healing.
Because the failure to listen to “the distressing cries” of abuse victims was “one of our greatest failures in the past,” the bishops said, they recommitted themselves to listen with “openness, sensitivity and care.” They also invited priests, religious and parish communities to reflect on how they can help abuse victims and their families.
The Catholic Church in Ireland has established a confidential helpline and counseling referral service. On average its effort have provided 20,000 counseling sessions a year, with face to face counseling for over 4,000 individuals and helpline support to over 15,000 survivors of abuse by clergy.
About $28.3 million has been spent on the programs so far, and the bishops announced on March 19 that another $14.2 million is available to support the services over the next five years.
The bishops said they hope the initiatives will help rebuild trust.