NEWSFLASH: Pope meets abuse victims in Malta

Pope and victims were both moved:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100418/local/abuse-victims-s...
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100418/local/abuse-victims-l...

There have been years of tears, promises, apologies, and such expressions of sorrow. But only when Bishops who have covered up these crimes are truly held accountable (removal from office) will I consider such expressions of sorrow true. The Pope's tears come after years of denial or blaming others--from homosexuals to the press--for the problem the church now faces.

Lets get to the root cause and eliminate celibacy and homophobia within the church.

And so.....
Yes, it is important to meet with the victims - and I wish the press would refer to them as Survivors. It is also important to realize the more the Bishops who are responsible for the cover up are not called to task and REMOVED from positions of authority (e.d, Cardinal Law) the more the Survivors are victimized. Perhaps this is why the press continues to use the term "victims"....the victimization continues!

John,

Sorry to be a bit crude but who ‘gives a hoot nor holler in Hades' that Our Holy Father "graciously honored" selected victims of ‘sexual abuse’ with his presence.

"Abuse" may be politically correct but our youth and women were raped - Three Times (see below).

The cynic in me asks, “Photo OP, anyone?” …. even though there were no pictures taken.

Yes, what I write is carefully and knowingly ‘over the top’ but it is past time for Pope Benedict to actually act like he understands.

To quote you it has been about 2 years since he " ... 'encountered' ... victims in the United States in April 2008 and, in July of the same year, in Australia."

Since these 2008 ‘encounters’ what has actually happened except terrible PR blunders and Death of Faith by a Thousand (needless and self-inflicted) Cuts? Action needed:

1. Cardinal Law 'Very Publicly' be directed to retire ... as my Dad (30 year AF Vet) would say, "Fired out of the cannon."

Yes, only a symbolic gesture but really, really and really needed.

Pope JPII ‘kicked him upstairs’ to get him out from legal actions and he continues to help choose future bishops while ‘his open Boston sores fester.’

I understand the reality that Pope Benedict cannot 'fire' every (US, Irish, German, Indian, Italian and others to be announced) Cardinal or Bishop that facilitated the repeated sexual abuse of parishioners because +/- 60% would have to go but ...... as a recent cover of Newsweek asked, "What would Mary do?"

2. The 'sainthood' actions for JPII be closed for a bit - like a century.

Why the rush? Unless to hide John Paul’s terrible failure to be a True Shepherd? ----- BUT, real cynic I am I suggest, to really cover the “tail’s” of how many “Loyal Ones” who long to bleat, “John Paul is OUR Holy Spirit's Selected Saint so – HOW DARE you - think that I ….” Yes, I am a Cynic.

3. Pope Benedict officially and formally direct every diocesan and religious order leader to open all documents concerning every, substantiated or not, claim of sexual abuse to a lay review panel .... or maybe in the US all the people doing the study of Nuns could be diverted to this review.

But what is My Reality?

What drives me?

I am deep ashamed to be identified as Catholic.

I know with every fiber of my 17 years of formal Catholic education, my many years as Lector, Eucharistic Minister, founder/President/and Member of Parish Councils and Faith Formation Facilitator of HS Youth that Hierarchy - to use a term of my children, “Just doesn’t get it.” Example:

Bishop Rhoades was quoted to have said as part of his Chrism Mass homily, “The horrible sins and crimes of some priests are in the news again, especially now in Europe. I am saddened by the unjust and unfair attacks on the Holy Father who…” Today’s Catholic, page 3, 18 April 2010,

In his homily he multiply identified priestly sexually abuse as, “… horrible sins and crimes…” but his basic theme seemed to be, “…I am saddened by the unjust and unfair attacks on the Holy Father who…”

I was so … (In true Charity I understatedly write, “Pull my few remaining gray hairs”) … by his ‘just don’t get it’ that I wrote him a letter which said in part:

“Even acknowledging the context of the Chrism Mass I found your comment lacking in any sense of compassion for those who were abused – three separate times.

First by the priest, then too frequently by their bishop and now finally by comments like, ‘The horrible sins and crimes of some priests are in the news again, especially now in Europe. I am saddened by the unjust and unfair attacks on the Holy Father who….’

I ask you directly:

Where in your comments on the ‘horrible sins and crimes’ do you acknowledge the most terrible of the sins and crimes - those committed by Cardinals/Bishops in hiding and yes, actually facilitating, the terrible continued rape of children placed in your care?

Where is your honest request for forgiveness to those same people? Your comment implies you are, ‘… (only) saddened by the unjust ……(blather, blather, blather)…’”

Sorry to ramble on but one final interesting (to me) reflection:

Read the comments from all the articles in the WaPo, NYTimes and NCR. There are the expected ‘Get the Catholics’ but there are also The Deeply Wounded, “…who were abused – three separate times.”

ghf
Major, USARMY, Ret. - I understand actual Authority and Leadership.
BA, Notre Dame; MA, Rel Ed, St Thomas Seminary, Denver.

Thank you, Holy Father. This is indeed a humbling time for our church. Come Holy Spirit & renew us!

I wish I could put I agree to some of the comments