Hugh Collins
Contributor
AOL News (Sept. 18) -- Pope Benedict XVI met with five victims of priestly child abuse as part of his official trip to Britain, while thousands marched the streets of London in protest against his visit.
Benedict prayed with the victims and said that the Catholic Church is "continuing to implement effective measures to safeguard young people," according to a statement from the Vatican (http://cnsblog.wordpress.com/).
"He was moved by what (the victims) had to say and expressed his deep sorrow and shame over what victims and their families had suffered," the Vatican said.
Carl Court, AFP / Getty Images
Demonstrators gather in London Saturday for what would become the biggest protest of Pope Benedict XVI in his five-year papacy. The Catholic sex abuse scandal has clouded the pontiff's visit to Britain.
Demonstrators gather in London Saturday for what would become the biggest protest of Pope Benedict XVI in his five-year papacy. The Catholic sex abuse scandal has clouded the pontiff's visit to Britain.
Earlier in the day, Benedict offered one of his strongest apologies for the actions of priests who sexually abused children. Speaking at Mass in Westminster Cathedral, Benedict referred to the priests' actions as "unspeakable crimes."
"I think of the immense suffering caused by the abuse of children, especially within the Church and by her ministers," Benedict said. "I express my deep sorrow to the innocent victims of these unspeakable crimes, along with my hope that the power of Christ's grace, his sacrifice of reconciliation, will bring deep healing and peace to their lives."
In previous visits to Australia and the United States, Benedict has also met with victims and apologized for sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, The Wall Street Journal said.
The meeting with the victims took place at the Vatican's embassy to the United Kingdom. Bill Kilgallon, chairman of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission, the church group that organized the meeting, told The Associated Press that the victims might not speak with the media.
On Friday, the pope addressed British dignitaries including former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher in a speech at Westminster, thanking them for the official invitation and praising British political and legal traditions. Prime Minister David Cameron was not present, as he was attending his father's funeral.
Hostility towards Benedict has been strong during this visit. Protesters took to the streets today, denouncing the pope's stance on birth control and the behavior of the Catholic Church in regards to the sexual abuse of children.
Protesters carried signs saying, "The pope is wrong – put a condom on," and "Pope protects pedophile priests." Organizers said they expected about 10,000 people in the march.
The protesters gathered in London's Hyde Park, while a crowd of Catholics rallied outside Westminster Cathedral.
Even before Benedict arrived earlier this week, notable figures such as comedian Stephen Fry and author Philip Pullman said that he should be not be allowed to visit the UK as a head of state, citing the Vatican's positions on birth control, abortion and gay rights.
Benedict's words of contrition received a cool reception from representatives of the victims of priestly child abuse
"We don't need a pope who is sad about crimes. We need a pope who will prevent crimes," Peter Isely of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said in a statement, according to the AP. "And his words prevent nothing."
Margaret McGuckin, who was abused in the Sisters of Nazareth Orphanage in Belfast, took a more positive line in an interview with BBC News.
"I feel hopeful, I feel he knows he's hearing the outcry of the people here," McGuckin said.
Still, even McGuckin said she wished that the pope had gone further in discussing the role of the Catholic Church in covering up child abuse and protecting the perpetrators.
"He should have said about admitting the cover-up that they were responsible for and that it did go right up to the hierarchy," McGuckin said.
There was greater enthusiasm for Benedict's words among the faithful gathered at Westminster Cathedral.
"It was very important that he apologized for the abuse that has taken place," Ann Maria Hayden told The Daily Telegraph. "It showed a lot of humility on his part."
This is the pope's first visit to the UK. As part of his packed itinerary, Benedict has met with members of the royal family, spoken with the Archbishop of Canterbury and addressed the country's elite at Westminster Hall.
Six men are still being held in connection with an alleged plot against the pope. Police arrested the suspects on Friday, acting on a tip.
The men are all North Africans, including at least one Algerian. Police searched eight homes this morning, but offered no more details on the case, Reuters reported.
Benedict drew fierce criticism Friday when he appeared to link atheism with the horrors of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. Speaking to members of the royal family in a speech in Edinburgh, Scotland, the pope, who was a member of the Hitler Youth, spoke of Nazism as a form of extreme atheism, and urged respect for "traditional values."
He sounded the same note in a short, philosophical speech at Westminster Hall Friday, warning against the "marginalization" of Christianity.
"There are those who would advocate that the voice of religion be silenced, or at least relegated to the purely private sphere," Benedict said Friday. "I cannot but voice my concern at the increasing marginalization of religion, particularly of Christianity, that is taking place in some quarters, even in nations which place a great emphasis on tolerance."
Benedict again emphasized the importance of religion in informing political life, saying that relying on reason alone contributed to 20th century totalitarianism and the historical slave trade.
The pope's visit will continue Sunday, when he is due to fly to Birmingham, the second-largest city in the UK, to beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Newman was a 19th century writer and theologian who converted from Anglicism to Catholicism.
Source: http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/pope-meets-with-abuse-victims-as-thousands-denounce-his-visit/19639278?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk1%7C171396
.
No comments:
Post a Comment