Two days after Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh filed a motion in court to allow release of a report on sexual abuse by clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Archbishop William E. Lori addressed the topic in his homily at the vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.
In his homily Nov. 19, the archbishop noted that news reports such as those that followed the Nov. 17 motion are a “stark reminder of the sins of the church’s ministers and the failures of the church’s leaders to address those sins effectively.”
The 456-page report itself has not yet been made public. The motion notes that the attorney general’s investigation has identified 158 priests accused of sexual abuse of children and more than 600 victims over the past 80 years. According to the motion, since some of the report’s details came from grand jury proceedings and subpoenas, the full report cannot be released without permission of the court. The investigation began in late 2018.
The archbishop said the attorney general’s motion might provide answers for some who have been waiting. “For others, it may reopen old wounds. Still others may feel that this is an inadequate or incomplete account of justice.
“To all, however, I pray it brings some measure of healing of deep wounds caused by the scourge of abuse in the life of the church,” he said. “Ever-aware of the pain endured by the victim-survivors, I once again offer them my sincere apologies and I will continue to apologize as long as there are people in pain,” Archbishop Lori said. “And as I said in my letter to the faithful of the archdiocese last Thursday, I pledge to continue to do everything possible to ensure that no one in the church’s care is ever again harmed by a representative of the church.”
He noted that those steps include a zero-tolerance policy for anyone to remain in ministry if they have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse; outreach to victim-survivors; screening and training of all church representatives; and reporting all allegations to civil authorities. He noted that all these efforts are overseen by an Independent Review Board, an eight-person group of mostly lay people, which reviews individual allegations of abuse and helps shape archdiocesan child protection policies.
“But no matter what steps the church may take, we are aware no such efforts can completely eradicate the reality of evil, even in our own ranks. Nor can the church’s efforts take away the pain of survivors, nor do they excuse the abject failures of church leadership to protect and heal. Again, I offer my most sincere apologies for what the church has done and for what the church has failed to do,” Archbishop Lori said.
Click play below to watch the Archbishop Lori’s homily. Story continues beneath.
He reflected on this “terrible evil” in light of the solemnity of Christ the King, which the Mass celebrated as the close of the liturgical year before Advent begins. “On this particular Sunday, we are led to one image, to the unlikely place where Jesus truly reigns, namely, his cross. There Jesus saves us by not saving himself. There Jesus, our King, pays the price for the sins of all the world, including our sins and the grave sins that have so grieved our hearts,” he said.
The reading from Luke’s Gospel told about the two criminals who were hanged on crosses alongside Jesus on Calvary. One reviled Jesus; the other asked Jesus for mercy, saying “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
“For my own part, on this feast day, I want to identify with the repentant thief. I cannot lead this local church without repenting for the sins and failings of the past that have harmed too many people,” Archbishop Lori said. “The only recourse for this local church, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, is to come before Jesus, our King, like the repentant thief – willing to face the truth, acknowledging the ways we are justly condemned, and begging him only that he remember us when he comes into his kingdom,” which is a kingdom of truth and life, holiness and grace, justice, love, and peace.
Like the repentant thief, we must approach Jesus with humility. “To be made fit for that kingdom, it is necessary to undergo repentance and conversion. It is necessary to ask for forgiveness of our sins and healing for those who were harmed,” the archbishop said.
After Mass, the archbishop told the Catholic Review the scourge of sexual abuse by clergy tears at his heart. “It tears at many people’s hearts, most especially those who have been harmed. And it’s something that ought to break our hearts.”
He added that the strenuous efforts over the past three decades to change radically the way the church responds to allegations of sexual abuse are accompanied by the steps the church is taking to protect young people from harm and to hold itself accountable.
“Even so, we cannot forget the past. We have to remember the past, understand the past and repent for the past because there are still people hurting from the events of the past,” Archbishop Lori said.
Brian Rogers, a parishioner of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, reacted to the archbishop’s homily after the Mass. “I think he was very candid and direct. There was a stern message in there.”
Another couple, who were visiting the cathedral from outside the archdiocese and asked that their names not be used, said they thought it was important for the archbishop to address the issue. Even though she has not been personally affected by abuse, she said, “We know people who have been.”
They said that one homily is not enough, and that every priest must show they take their vocation seriously and that every parish takes care of children.
In a “Frequently Asked Questions” memo distributed to archdiocesan staff, Bishop Adam J. Parker, moderator of the curia, noted that the archdiocese will continue to cooperate with any legal processes relating to the attorney general’s investigation.
“The archdiocese does not object to the release of a report which accurately details the heinous crime and sin of child sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the clearly and also fairly and accurately details how the archdiocese responded to such allegations, even when the response fell far short of how such allegations are handled today,” the FAQ said. “The motion filed by the Maryland Attorney General does not reflect the archdiocese’s current and decades-long strong pastoral response and handling of allegations of child sexual abuse.”
It also noted that the archdiocese did not withhold any information requested by the AG’s office and cooperated fully with all requests for information.
In accordance with archdiocesan policy, no one who has been credibly accused of child abuse is in ministry today – whether clergy or laity, employee or volunteer. “Any such individuals are removed and permanently barred from ministry and reported to law enforcement, including the Maryland Attorney General. This has been the practice of the archdiocese for more than two decades,” the FAQ said.
Email Christopher Gunty at editor@CatholicReview.org.
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