PHILADELPHIA — Pope Francis met on Sept. 27 with five adults who were sexually abused as children and told them the Church needs them like the disciples needed Jesus, pledging the Church would hold abusers accountable both now and in the future.

The Holy Father told bishops gathered at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia on the final day of his Sept. 22-27 visit to the United States that he met with five survivors of sexual abuse — three women and two men, accompanied by family and friends for support, who had been assaulted as children by clergy, family members or teachers.

“God weeps” for them, Pope Francis said, speaking of his half-hour visit with the survivors, calling them “true heralds of hope and ministers of mercy.” 

He told the bishops that they and the Church must be grateful for each one of them and their families, for “their immense value in shining the light of Christ over the evil of the abuse of minors.”

According to the Vatican, during the encounter, Pope Francis listened to the testimonies of the survivors and addressed them all together before speaking with each one individually. The Pope expressed sorrow that their innocence was violated by those they trusted, saying “the betrayal was a terrible violation of human dignity.”

 

‘Precious Children’

“You are precious children of God who should always expect our protection, our care and our love,” he said.

The Holy Father said he was “deeply sorry” for those who had been abused by clergy and who “were not heard or believed” when they or their families spoke out to report the crimes committed against them.

He asked them to believe that “the Holy Father hears you and believes you.” He pledged the Church would “follow the path of truth wherever it may lead,” hold clergy and bishops accountable for both abusing and failing to protect children, support their continued healing and protect “the children of today and tomorrow.”

Pope Francis also personally appealed to them to stay with the Church, just as the disciples on the road to Emmaus asked Jesus to stay with them.

“Like those disciples, I humbly beg you — and all survivors of abuse — to stay with us, to stay with the Church, and that, together, as pilgrims on the journey of faith, we might find our way to the Father.”

At a Sept. 27 press conference, Vatican press secretary Father Federico Lombardi and officials with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) addressed questions about the appropriateness of the timing of the Pope’s visit with survivors, near the end of his six-day journey.

Father Lombardi explained that the issue of sexual abuse also came up in various papal talks with bishops, priests and religious and that timing of the meeting with survivors should not be misinterpreted negatively. “Last, but not least, is the most important sometimes,” he said.

 

Renewed Accountability

Reporters also asked the panel to explain what steps the Church was taking to protect children and hold accountable those who sexually abuse — or fail to protect — children.

Bishop Edward Burns of Juneau, Alaska, chairman of the USCCB’s Commission on the Protection of Children and Young People, told reporters that the standard procedure for responding to allegations of sexual abuse involves both immediately reaching out to the victim to assist the process of healing and contacting law enforcement to investigate the allegation.

“It is imperative that we involve law enforcement in the investigation of any allegation of sexual abuse,” he said.

Bishop Christopher Coyne of Burlington, Vt., chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Communications, added that Pope Francis has also put into place procedures to deal with bishops who fail to follow the applicable secular and Church laws on reporting child abuse. Without mentioning names, he referred to the resignations among the U.S. episcopate as evidence of the Church’s commitment to holding bishops accountable.

Father Lombardi noted that Pope Francis mandated the Vatican’s Commission for the Protection of Minors have a larger vision than just protecting minors within the Catholic Church: It must also work for the protection of minors and healing of victims — no matter their religion — throughout society and its different contexts.

“The new commission of the Pope is to protect minors everywhere,” Father Lombardi said.

 

Church Resources

One particularly poignant question came from Leonor Batista of Inmaculada Radio, asking what resources the Church was providing — such as support groups and therapies — to victims of sexual abuse. Batista shared that she had been a victim of sexual abuse by a family member, and she deals with many people calling the radio station who are looking for help.

“There are all kinds of resources for you,” Bishop Coyne said, pointing to Catholic Charities and the archdiocesan and diocesan offices as places to start and obtain that support.

On the papal plane traveling back from the United States, Pope Francis discussed forgiveness in the context of clergy sexual abuse, but stressed that the abuse of minors is “sacrilege” and that by committing such acts the priest has “betrayed his vocation, the calling of the Lord.”

The Pope stressed that this is why the Church is adamant that these crimes of abuse must not be covered up.

And referencing cases in the U.S. where it came to light that bishops sought to prevent these criminal acts by priests from being exposed, the Pope said, “Those who covered this up are guilty.”

 

CNA contributed to this report.