“There are times when words fail us – when they do not capture the depth of overwhelming situations we sometimes face in life. For the Church in the United States this is one of those times.
The Pennsylvania Grand Jury’s report and the first-hand expressions of horror and devastating pain experienced by survivors once again wrench our hearts with the unimaginable that tragically is all too real for those who carry this pain. Once again we hear each excruciating word they share. We remain shamed by these egregious failures to protect children and those who are vulnerable and affirm our commitment that these failures will never be repeated”. (Cardenal O’Mally)
We acknowledge the mistakes made by members of our Mother Church throughout history in the USA and around the world; we become envious and ask forgiveness; but on the other hand we feel proud and hopeful for the dedication, sacrifice, and love with which hundreds and thousands of priests spend their lives in favor of justice caring for and educating millions of poor and abandoned children in the cotelengos, on the outskirts of big cities, in orphanages, in places where there are wars, violence and humanitarian crises where often the UN, governments and other institutions do not arrive. Over 400,000 Catholic priests left 60,000 of their families, their country to dedicate their lives as missionaries and to help those in need.
Let us not lose hope. Moment of crisis is time for purification. “a tree that falls makes more noise than a forest that grows.”
(Fr. Scaravelli)