STATEMENT OF DIPLOMATIC SOCIETY OF ST. GABRIEL
The cases of pedophilia in the Church are, for all Catholics, a source of profound grief and great sorrow.
We, as Catholics, bear the burden of the crimes of certain priests and failures of their superiors.
The most important thing is to recognise and take to heart the profound damage done to children who have been abused. Putting the safeguarding of children and all vulnerable people at the centre of the Church’s efforts is essential. We welcome the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI’s wish to shed light on these cases.
At the same time, we regret the way media accompany these cases. Beyond the legitimate and democratic right to information, we can only note with sadness, as Christians but also as citizens, that many media treat these cases with bias, ignorance, or delight. Shortcuts in generalizations, the portrait of the Church which is currently done in the press does not match the experiences of Catholic Christians.
The Diplomatic Society of St. Gabriel hereby declares that it stands with the Vicar of Christ and head of the Church in prayer for the victims of sexual abuse, for the entire Church and for the world.
We pray for our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, that God may continue to grant him an abundance of spiritual wisdom and strength to guide the Barque of Peter through the difficult waters of our times.
We vigorously endorse the statement of Msgr. Angelo Cardinal Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, at the recent Easter celebration in Vatican. Indeed, “the People of God are with you. They do not let themselves be frightened by the ‘gossip’ of the moment, by the trials that sometimes befall the community of believers”.
We, members of the Diplomatic Society of St. Gabriel, are
with you, Your Holiness.
April 23, 2010
