VATICAN CITY, MARCH
20, 2010 (Zenit.org).-
Here is the full
text of Benedict
XVI's pastoral
letter to the
Catholics of
Ireland. The Vatican
published the letter
today.
* * *
1. Dear Brothers and
Sisters of the
Church in Ireland,
it is with great
concern that I write
to you as Pastor of
the universal
Church. Like
yourselves, I have
been deeply
disturbed by the
information which
has come to light
regarding the abuse
of children and
vulnerable young
people by members of
the Church in
Ireland,
particularly by
priests and
religious. I can
only share in the
dismay and the sense
of betrayal that so
many of you have
experienced on
learning of these
sinful and criminal
acts and the way
Church authorities
in Ireland dealt
with them.
As you know, I
recently invited the
Irish bishops to a
meeting here in Rome
to give an account
of their handling of
these matters in the
past and to outline
the steps they have
taken to respond to
this grave
situation. Together
with senior
officials of the
Roman Curia, I
listened to what
they had to say,
both individually
and as a group, as
they offered an
analysis of mistakes
made and lessons
learned, and a
description of the
programmes and
protocols now in
place. Our
discussions were
frank and
constructive. I am
confident that, as a
result, the bishops
will now be in a
stronger position to
carry forward the
work of repairing
past injustices and
confronting the
broader issues
associated with the
abuse of minors in a
way consonant with
the demands of
justice and the
teachings of the
Gospel.
2. For my part,
considering the
gravity of these
offences, and the
often inadequate
response to them on
the part of the
ecclesiastical
authorities in your
country, I have
decided to write
this Pastoral Letter
to express my
closeness to you and
to propose a path of
healing, renewal and
reparation.
It is true, as many
in your country have
pointed out, that
the problem of child
abuse is peculiar
neither to Ireland
nor to the Church.
Nevertheless, the
task you now face is
to address the
problem of abuse
that has occurred
within the Irish
Catholic community,
and to do so with
courage and
determination. No
one imagines that
this painful
situation will be
resolved swiftly.
Real progress has
been made, yet much
more remains to be
done. Perseverance
and prayer are
needed, with great
trust in the healing
power of God's
grace.
At the same time, I
must also express my
conviction that, in
order to recover
from this grievous
wound, the Church in
Ireland must first
acknowledge before
the Lord and before
others the serious
sins committed
against defenceless
children. Such an
acknowledgement,
accompanied by
sincere sorrow for
the damage caused to
these victims and
their families, must
lead to a concerted
effort to ensure the
protection of
children from
similar crimes in
the future.
As you take up the
challenges of this
hour, I ask you to
remember "the rock
from which you were
hewn" (Is 51:1).
Reflect upon the
generous, often
heroic,
contributions made
by past generations
of Irish men and
women to the Church
and to humanity as a
whole, and let this
provide the impetus
for honest
self-examination and
a committed
programme of
ecclesial and
individual renewal.
It is my prayer
that, assisted by
the intercession of
her many saints and
purified through
penance, the Church
in Ireland will
overcome the present
crisis and become
once more a
convincing witness
to the truth and the
goodness of Almighty
God, made manifest
in his Son Jesus
Christ.
3. Historically, the
Catholics of Ireland
have proved an
enormous force for
good at home and
abroad. Celtic monks
like Saint
Columbanus spread
the Gospel in
Western Europe and
laid the foundations
of medieval monastic
culture. The ideals
of holiness, charity
and transcendent
wisdom born of the
Christian faith
found expression in
the building of
churches and
monasteries and the
establishment of
schools, libraries
and hospitals, all
of which helped to
consolidate the
spiritual identity
of Europe. Those
Irish missionaries
drew their strength
and inspiration from
the firm faith,
strong leadership
and upright morals
of the Church in
their native land.
From the sixteenth
century on,
Catholics in Ireland
endured a long
period of
persecution, during
which they struggled
to keep the flame of
faith alive in
dangerous and
difficult
circumstances. Saint
Oliver Plunkett, the
martyred Archbishop
of Armagh, is the
most famous example
of a host of
courageous sons and
daughters of Ireland
who were willing to
lay down their lives
out of fidelity to
the Gospel. After
Catholic
Emancipation, the
Church was free to
grow once more.
Families and
countless
individuals who had
preserved the faith
in times of trial
became the catalyst
for the great
resurgence of Irish
Catholicism in the
nineteenth century.
The Church provided
education,
especially for the
poor, and this was
to make a major
contribution to
Irish society. Among
the fruits of the
new Catholic schools
was a rise in
vocations:
generations of
missionary priests,
sisters and brothers
left their homeland
to serve in every
continent,
especially in the
English-speaking
world. They were
remarkable not only
for their great
numbers, but for the
strength of their
faith and the
steadfastness of
their pastoral
commitment. Many
dioceses, especially
in Africa, America
and Australia,
benefited from the
presence of Irish
clergy and religious
who preached the
Gospel and
established
parishes, schools
and universities,
clinics and
hospitals that
served both
Catholics and the
community at large,
with particular
attention to the
needs of the poor.
In almost every
family in Ireland,
there has been
someone – a son or a
daughter, an aunt or
an uncle – who has
given his or her
life to the Church.
Irish families
rightly esteem and
cherish their loved
ones who have
dedicated their
lives to Christ,
sharing the gift of
faith with others,
and putting that
faith into action in
loving service of
God and neighbour.
4. In recent
decades, however,
the Church in your
country has had to
confront new and
serious challenges
to the faith arising
from the rapid
transformation and
secularization of
Irish society.
Fast-paced social
change has occurred,
often adversely
affecting people's
traditional
adherence to
Catholic teaching
and values. All too
often, the
sacramental and
devotional practices
that sustain faith
and enable it to
grow, such as
frequent confession,
daily prayer and
annual retreats,
were neglected.
Significant too was
the tendency during
this period, also on
the part of priests
and religious, to
adopt ways of
thinking and
assessing secular
realities without
sufficient reference
to the Gospel. The
programme of renewal
proposed by the
Second Vatican
Council was
sometimes
misinterpreted and
indeed, in the light
of the profound
social changes that
were taking place,
it was far from easy
to know how best to
implement it. In
particular, there
was a
well-intentioned but
misguided tendency
to avoid penal
approaches to
canonically
irregular
situations. It is in
this overall context
that we must try to
understand the
disturbing problem
of child sexual
abuse, which has
contributed in no
small measure to the
weakening of faith
and the loss of
respect for the
Church and her
teachings.
Only by examining
carefully the many
elements that gave
rise to the present
crisis can a
clear-sighted
diagnosis of its
causes be undertaken
and effective
remedies be found.
Certainly, among the
contributing factors
we can include:
inadequate
procedures for
determining the
suitability of
candidates for the
priesthood and the
religious life;
insufficient human,
moral, intellectual
and spiritual
formation in
seminaries and
novitiates; a
tendency in society
to favour the clergy
and other authority
figures; and a
misplaced concern
for the reputation
of the Church and
the avoidance of
scandal, resulting
in failure to apply
existing canonical
penalties and to
safeguard the
dignity of every
person. Urgent
action is needed to
address these
factors, which have
had such tragic
consequences in the
lives of victims and
their families, and
have obscured the
light of the Gospel
to a degree that not
even centuries of
persecution
succeeded in doing.
5. On several
occasions since my
election to the See
of Peter, I have met
with victims of
sexual abuse, as
indeed I am ready to
do in the future. I
have sat with them,
I have listened to
their stories, I
have acknowledged
their suffering, and
I have prayed with
them and for them.
Earlier in my
pontificate, in my
concern to address
this matter, I asked
the bishops of
Ireland, "to
establish the truth
of what happened in
the past, to take
whatever steps are
necessary to prevent
it from occurring
again, to ensure
that the principles
of justice are fully
respected, and above
all, to bring
healing to the
victims and to all
those affected by
these egregious
crimes" (Address to
the Bishops of
Ireland, 28 October
2006).
With this Letter, I
wish to exhort all
of you, as God's
people in Ireland,
to reflect on the
wounds inflicted on
Christ's body, the
sometimes painful
remedies needed to
bind and heal them,
and the need for
unity, charity and
mutual support in
the long-term
process of
restoration and
ecclesial renewal. I
now turn to you with
words that come from
my heart, and I wish
to speak to each of
you individually and
to all of you as
brothers and sisters
in the Lord.
6. To the victims of
abuse and their
families
You have suffered
grievously and I am
truly sorry. I know
that nothing can
undo the wrong you
have endured. Your
trust has been
betrayed and your
dignity has been
violated. Many of
you found that, when
you were courageous
enough to speak of
what happened to
you, no one would
listen. Those of you
who were abused in
residential
institutions must
have felt that there
was no escape from
your sufferings. It
is understandable
that you find it
hard to forgive or
be reconciled with
the Church. In her
name, I openly
express the shame
and remorse that we
all feel. At the
same time, I ask you
not to lose hope. It
is in the communion
of the Church that
we encounter the
person of Jesus
Christ, who was
himself a victim of
injustice and sin.
Like you, he still
bears the wounds of
his own unjust
suffering. He
understands the
depths of your pain
and its enduring
effect upon your
lives and your
relationships,
including your
relationship with
the Church. I know
some of you find it
difficult even to
enter the doors of a
church after all
that has occurred.
Yet Christ's own
wounds, transformed
by his redemptive
sufferings, are the
very means by which
the power of evil is
broken and we are
reborn to life and
hope. I believe
deeply in the
healing power of his
self-sacrificing
love – even in the
darkest and most
hopeless situations
– to bring
liberation and the
promise of a new
beginning.
Speaking to you as a
pastor concerned for
the good of all
God's children, I
humbly ask you to
consider what I have
said. I pray that,
by drawing nearer to
Christ and by
participating in the
life of his Church –
a Church purified by
penance and renewed
in pastoral charity
– you will come to
rediscover Christ's
infinite love for
each one of you. I
am confident that in
this way you will be
able to find
reconciliation, deep
inner healing and
peace.
7. To priests and
religious who have
abused children
You betrayed the
trust that was
placed in you by
innocent young
people and their
parents, and you
must answer for it
before Almighty God
and before properly
constituted
tribunals. You have
forfeited the esteem
of the people of
Ireland and brought
shame and dishonour
upon your confreres.
Those of you who are
priests violated the
sanctity of the
sacrament of Holy
Orders in which
Christ makes himself
present in us and in
our actions.
Together with the
immense harm done to
victims, great
damage has been done
to the Church and to
the public
perception of the
priesthood and
religious life.
I urge you to
examine your
conscience, take
responsibility for
the sins you have
committed, and
humbly express your
sorrow. Sincere
repentance opens the
door to God's
forgiveness and the
grace of true
amendment. By
offering prayers and
penances for those
you have wronged,
you should seek to
atone personally for
your actions.
Christ's redeeming
sacrifice has the
power to forgive
even the gravest of
sins, and to bring
forth good from even
the most terrible
evil. At the same
time, God's justice
summons us to give
an account of our
actions and to
conceal nothing.
Openly acknowledge
your guilt, submit
yourselves to the
demands of justice,
but do not despair
of God's mercy.
8. To parents
You have been deeply
shocked to learn of
the terrible things
that took place in
what ought to be the
safest and most
secure environment
of all. In today's
world it is not easy
to build a home and
to bring up
children. They
deserve to grow up
in security, loved
and cherished, with
a strong sense of
their identity and
worth. They have a
right to be educated
in authentic moral
values rooted in the
dignity of the human
person, to be
inspired by the
truth of our
Catholic faith and
to learn ways of
behaving and acting
that lead to healthy
self-esteem and
lasting happiness.
This noble but
demanding task is
entrusted in the
first place to you,
their parents. I
urge you to play
your part in
ensuring the best
possible care of
children, both at
home and in society
as a whole, while
the Church, for her
part, continues to
implement the
measures adopted in
recent years to
protect young people
in parish and school
environments. As you
carry out your vital
responsibilities, be
assured that I
remain close to you
and I offer you the
support of my
prayers.
9. To the children
and young people of
Ireland
I wish to offer you
a particular word of
encouragement. Your
experience of the
Church is very
different from that
of your parents and
grandparents. The
world has changed
greatly since they
were your age. Yet
all people, in every
generation, are
called to travel the
same path through
life, whatever their
circumstances may
be. We are all
scandalized by the
sins and failures of
some of the Church's
members,
particularly those
who were chosen
especially to guide
and serve young
people. But it is in
the Church that you
will find Jesus
Christ, who is the
same yesterday,
today and for ever
(cf. Heb 13:8). He
loves you and he has
offered himself on
the cross for you.
Seek a personal
relationship with
him within the
communion of his
Church, for he will
never betray your
trust! He alone can
satisfy your deepest
longings and give
your lives their
fullest meaning by
directing them to
the service of
others. Keep your
eyes fixed on Jesus
and his goodness,
and shelter the
flame of faith in
your heart. Together
with your fellow
Catholics in
Ireland, I look to
you to be faithful
disciples of our
Lord and to bring
your much-needed
enthusiasm and
idealism to the
rebuilding and
renewal of our
beloved Church.
10. To the priests
and religious of
Ireland
All of us are
suffering as a
result of the sins
of our confreres who
betrayed a sacred
trust or failed to
deal justly and
responsibly with
allegations of
abuse. In view of
the outrage and
indignation which
this has provoked,
not only among the
lay faithful but
among yourselves and
your religious
communities, many of
you feel personally
discouraged, even
abandoned. I am also
aware that in some
people's eyes you
are tainted by
association, and
viewed as if you
were somehow
responsible for the
misdeeds of others.
At this painful
time, I want to
acknowledge the
dedication of your
priestly and
religious lives and
apostolates, and I
invite you to
reaffirm your faith
in Christ, your love
of his Church and
your confidence in
the Gospel's promise
of redemption,
forgiveness and
interior renewal. In
this way, you will
demonstrate for all
to see that where
sin abounds, grace
abounds all the more
(cf. Rom 5:20).
I know that many of
you are
disappointed,
bewildered and
angered by the way
these matters have
been handled by some
of your superiors.
Yet, it is essential
that you cooperate
closely with those
in authority and
help to ensure that
the measures adopted
to respond to the
crisis will be truly
evangelical, just
and effective. Above
all, I urge you to
become ever more
clearly men and
women of prayer,
courageously
following the path
of conversion,
purification and
reconciliation. In
this way, the Church
in Ireland will draw
new life and
vitality from your
witness to the
Lord's redeeming
power made visible
in your lives.
11. To my brother
bishops
It cannot be denied
that some of you and
your predecessors
failed, at times
grievously, to apply
the long-established
norms of canon law
to the crime of
child abuse. Serious
mistakes were made
in responding to
allegations. I
recognize how
difficult it was to
grasp the extent and
complexity of the
problem, to obtain
reliable information
and to make the
right decisions in
the light of
conflicting expert
advice.
Nevertheless, it
must be admitted
that grave errors of
judgement were made
and failures of
leadership occurred.
All this has
seriously undermined
your credibility and
effectiveness. I
appreciate the
efforts you have
made to remedy past
mistakes and to
guarantee that they
do not happen again.
Besides fully
implementing the
norms of canon law
in addressing cases
of child abuse,
continue to
cooperate with the
civil authorities in
their area of
competence. Clearly,
religious superiors
should do likewise.
They too have taken
part in recent
discussions here in
Rome with a view to
establishing a clear
and consistent
approach to these
matters. It is
imperative that the
child safety norms
of the Church in
Ireland be
continually revised
and updated and that
they be applied
fully and
impartially in
conformity with
canon law.
Only decisive action
carried out with
complete honesty and
transparency will
restore the respect
and good will of the
Irish people towards
the Church to which
we have consecrated
our lives. This must
arise, first and
foremost, from your
own
self-examination,
inner purification
and spiritual
renewal. The Irish
people rightly
expect you to be men
of God, to be holy,
to live simply, to
pursue personal
conversion daily.
For them, in the
words of Saint
Augustine, you are a
bishop; yet with
them you are called
to be a follower of
Christ (cf. Sermon
340, 1). I therefore
exhort you to renew
your sense of
accountability
before God, to grow
in solidarity with
your people and to
deepen your pastoral
concern for all the
members of your
flock. In
particular, I ask
you to be attentive
to the spiritual and
moral lives of each
one of your priests.
Set them an example
by your own lives,
be close to them,
listen to their
concerns, offer them
encouragement at
this difficult time
and stir up the
flame of their love
for Christ and their
commitment to the
service of their
brothers and
sisters.
The lay faithful,
too, should be
encouraged to play
their proper part in
the life of the
Church. See that
they are formed in
such a way that they
can offer an
articulate and
convincing account
of the Gospel in the
midst of modern
society (cf. 1 Pet
3:15) and cooperate
more fully in the
Church's life and
mission. This in
turn will help you
once again become
credible leaders and
witnesses to the
redeeming truth of
Christ.
12. To all the
faithful of Ireland
A young person's
experience of the
Church should always
bear fruit in a
personal and
life-giving
encounter with Jesus
Christ within a
loving, nourishing
community. In this
environment, young
people should be
encouraged to grow
to their full human
and spiritual
stature, to aspire
to high ideals of
holiness, charity
and truth, and to
draw inspiration
from the riches of a
great religious and
cultural tradition.
In our increasingly
secularized society,
where even we
Christians often
find it difficult to
speak of the
transcendent
dimension of our
existence, we need
to find new ways to
pass on to young
people the beauty
and richness of
friendship with
Jesus Christ in the
communion of his
Church. In
confronting the
present crisis,
measures to deal
justly with
individual crimes
are essential, yet
on their own they
are not enough: a
new vision is
needed, to inspire
present and future
generations to
treasure the gift of
our common faith. By
treading the path
marked out by the
Gospel, by observing
the commandments and
by conforming your
lives ever more
closely to the
figure of Jesus
Christ, you will
surely experience
the profound renewal
that is so urgently
needed at this time.
I invite you all to
persevere along this
path.
13. Dear brothers
and sisters in
Christ, it is out of
deep concern for all
of you at this
painful time in
which the fragility
of the human
condition has been
so starkly revealed
that I have wished
to offer these words
of encouragement and
support. I hope that
you will receive
them as a sign of my
spiritual closeness
and my confidence in
your ability to
respond to the
challenges of the
present hour by
drawing renewed
inspiration and
strength from
Ireland's noble
traditions of
fidelity to the
Gospel, perseverance
in the faith and
steadfastness in the
pursuit of
holiness.In
solidarity with all
of you, I am praying
earnestly that, by
God's grace, the
wounds afflicting so
many individuals and
families may be
healed and that the
Church in Ireland
may experience a
season of rebirth
and spiritual
renewal.
14. I now wish to
propose to you some
concrete initiatives
to address the
situation.
At the conclusion of
my meeting with the
Irish bishops, I
asked that Lent this
year be set aside as
a time to pray for
an outpouring of
God's mercy and the
Holy Spirit's gifts
of holiness and
strength upon the
Church in your
country. I now
invite all of you to
devote your Friday
penances, for a
period of one year,
between now and
Easter 2011, to this
intention. I ask you
to offer up your
fasting, your
prayer, your reading
of Scripture and
your works of mercy
in order to obtain
the grace of healing
and renewal for the
Church in Ireland. I
encourage you to
discover anew the
sacrament of
Reconciliation and
to avail yourselves
more frequently of
the transforming
power of its grace.
Particular attention
should also be given
to Eucharistic
adoration, and in
every diocese there
should be churches
or chapels
specifically devoted
to this purpose. I
ask parishes,
seminaries,
religious houses and
monasteries to
organize periods of
Eucharistic
adoration, so that
all have an
opportunity to take
part. Through
intense prayer
before the real
presence of the
Lord, you can make
reparation for the
sins of abuse that
have done so much
harm, at the same
time imploring the
grace of renewed
strength and a
deeper sense of
mission on the part
of all bishops,
priests, religious
and lay faithful.
I am confident that
this programme will
lead to a rebirth of
the Church in
Ireland in the
fullness of God's
own truth, for it is
the truth that sets
us free (cf. Jn
8:32).
Furthermore, having
consulted and prayed
about the matter, I
intend to hold an
Apostolic Visitation
of certain dioceses
in Ireland, as well
as seminaries and
religious
congregations.
Arrangements for the
Visitation, which is
intended to assist
the local Church on
her path of renewal,
will be made in
cooperation with the
competent offices of
the Roman Curia and
the Irish Episcopal
Conference. The
details will be
announced in due
course.
I also propose that
a nationwide Mission
be held for all
bishops, priests and
religious. It is my
hope that, by
drawing on the
expertise of
experienced
preachers and
retreat-givers from
Ireland and from
elsewhere, and by
exploring anew the
conciliar documents,
the liturgical rites
of ordination and
profession, and
recent pontifical
teaching, you will
come to a more
profound
appreciation of your
respective
vocations, so as to
rediscover the roots
of your faith in
Jesus Christ and to
drink deeply from
the springs of
living water that he
offers you through
his Church.
In this Year for
Priests, I commend
to you most
particularly the
figure of Saint John
Mary Vianney, who
had such a rich
understanding of the
mystery of the
priesthood. "The
priest", he wrote,
"holds the key to
the treasures of
heaven: it is he who
opens the door: he
is the steward of
the good Lord; the
administrator of his
goods." The Curé
d'Ars understood
well how greatly
blessed a community
is when served by a
good and holy
priest: "A good
shepherd, a pastor
after God's heart,
is the greatest
treasure which the
good Lord can grant
to a parish, and one
of the most precious
gifts of divine
mercy." Through the
intercession of
Saint John Mary
Vianney, may the
priesthood in
Ireland be
revitalized, and may
the whole Church in
Ireland grow in
appreciation for the
great gift of the
priestly ministry.
I take this
opportunity to thank
in anticipation all
those who will be
involved in the work
of organizing the
Apostolic Visitation
and the Mission, as
well as the many men
and women throughout
Ireland already
working for the
safety of children
in church
environments. Since
the time when the
gravity and extent
of the problem of
child sexual abuse
in Catholic
institutions first
began to be fully
grasped, the Church
has done an immense
amount of work in
many parts of the
world in order to
address and remedy
it. While no effort
should be spared in
improving and
updating existing
procedures, I am
encouraged by the
fact that the
current safeguarding
practices adopted by
local Churches are
being seen, in some
parts of the world,
as a model for other
institutions to
follow.
I wish to conclude
this Letter with a
special Prayer for
the Church in
Ireland, which I
send to you with the
care of a father for
his children and
with the affection
of a fellow
Christian,
scandalized and hurt
by what has occurred
in our beloved
Church. As you make
use of this prayer
in your families,
parishes and
communities, may the
Blessed Virgin Mary
protect and guide
each of you to a
closer union with
her Son, crucified
and risen. With
great affection and
unswerving
confidence in God's
promises, I
cordially impart to
all of you my
Apostolic Blessing
as a pledge of
strength and peace
in the Lord.
From the Vatican, 19
March 2010, on the
Solemnity of Saint
Joseph
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
Prayer for the
Church in Ireland
God of our fathers,
renew us in the
faith which is our
life and salvation,
the hope which
promises forgiveness
and interior
renewal,
the charity which
purifies and opens
our hearts
to love you, and in
you, each of our
brothers and
sisters.
Lord Jesus Christ,
may the Church in
Ireland renew her
age-old commitment
to the education of
our young people in
the way of truth and
goodness, holiness
and generous service
to society.
Holy Spirit,
comforter, advocate
and guide,
inspire a new
springtime of
holiness and
apostolic zeal
for the Church in
Ireland.
May our sorrow and
our tears,
our sincere effort
to redress past
wrongs,
and our firm purpose
of amendment
bear an abundant
harvest of grace
for the deepening of
the faith
in our families,
parishes, schools
and communities,
for the spiritual
progress of Irish
society,
and the growth of
charity, justice,
joy and peace
within the whole
human family.
To you, Triune God,
confident in the
loving protection of
Mary,
Queen of Ireland,
our Mother,
and of Saint
Patrick, Saint
Brigid and all the
saints,
do we entrust
ourselves, our
children,
and the needs of the
Church in Ireland.
Amen.
© Copyright 2010 --
Libreria Editrice
Vaticana
Benedict XVI's Letter to Catholics of Ireland
"Make Reparation for the Sins of Abuse That Have Done So Much Harm"
