| May 5, 2008 | Volume 83, Number 14 | |
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Victims of sex abusePope Benedict XVI showed great wisdom and much compassion when he recently met with five adults who had been victims of sex abuse by priests. The private meeting, which took place at the residence of the Papal Nuncio to the United States in Washington, had not been announced beforehand. This was wise because many in the media might have camped outside the residence on Massachusetts Avenue ready to pounce on the victims upon their arrival or departure from the meeting. The three who were willing to speak to the media did so on their own terms the following day on national television. The meeting was arranged after Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley of Boston had asked Pope Benedict to stop in Boston during his first visit to the United States since becoming pontiff. The Pope’s decision not to come to Boston was probably wise because too much emphasis would probably have been focused on how Cardinal Bernard Law, Cardinal O’Malley’s predecessor, had tried to cover up the sex abuse scandal while dismissing the claims of the victims. “Certainly he (Pope Benedict) has heard through the bishops and through others the devastation of sexual abuse, but it is another thing to encounter personally the survivors and to learn first hand of their suffering and pain,” Cardinal O’Malley said later. He pointed out that a book containing the names of more than 1,000 victims also was presented to Pope Benedict. Those names were “of people who had come to us” in the past 50 years, the cardinal said. Their names were done in calligraphy with prayers and reflections interspersed in the listing. No doubt, the victims who met with the pope were grateful for his desire to meet them and hear them tell how sex abuse from a priest had harmed their lives. He looked them in the eye and listened intently. The three victims said they felt he really cared about them and was sorry for the pain and anguish they had suffered. The harm from sexual abuse is deeply rooted. Certainly victims can never forget it nor should they try to bury it. Now that the scandal of clergy sexual abuse has been exposed, it is important that it never happen again. We’ve all been told of the warning signs in adults. Those who have knowledge of sexual abuse of children must act on it immediately and contact civil authorities.
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