Editorial
A time of true penance, reparation, and a pledge to move forward
The silence was lengthy, even moving, and in many minds, it spoke volumes.
As he lay prostrate for five, six, seven minutes praying in silence at the beginning of the “Holy Hour for Prayer, Penance and Healing” on Sept. 15 in SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson laid the foundation for seeking God’s mercy, healing and grace upon our local Church. (See related story)
But the prayers weren’t only for central and southern Indiana, they were for the universal Church and everyone impacted by clergy sexual abuse.
No one can deny the hurt, anger and even betrayal many people of faith feel as we continue to come to grips with the revelations of priests, religious and other people ministering on behalf of the Church abusing the most vulnerable among us.
And there are no appropriate words for the victims, their families and others impacted by these sinful actions.
There is still brokenness for many, an emptiness that most of us will never be able to grasp, and unimaginable pain.
“I cannot begin to imagine the depth of sorrow that is being felt and experienced by so many, both within and outside the Church,” Archbishop Thompson said at the beginning of his homily during the holy hour.
The archbishop offered his “deepest apologies” to all who have been abused. He noted, “We particularly ache for the most vulnerable and innocent among us … children and youth … who have been victimized. One very notable U.S. archbishop likened the sexual abuse scandal to an incredibly destructive storm, not of rain or wind, but man-made, which will necessarily include a road to recovery like that of any devastating disaster.”
Sadly, we have learned the abuse also includes vulnerable adults and even seminarians on the East Coast, where a prelate is accused of acting in sexually inappropriate ways with several young priests and men in formation for the priesthood. Many of us are asking: How can something like this have happened? What are we to do?
In times like these, our family of faith must come together, and not allow this crisis to further fracture the universal Church. The road to recovery cannot be an issue of “we” or “them.” It requires our community of faith coming together—laity, clergy and religious alike—as the people of God.
Benedictine Sister Marie Racine, who attended the holy hour, said as much. “I think it’s important for us to come together as a Church to pray for our Church, for those that have been victimized by members of our Church, so we can bring healing and justice. It’s important to come together—it’s a time of crisis.”
Norbert Krapf, a victim of priestly sexual abuse decades ago in the Diocese of Evansville, Ind., agreed the holy hour was a good initial step.
“You can’t open yourself to healing until you open yourself to the grief. And I think too much of the grief has been shut out and suppressed,” said Krapf, now a member of SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral Parish in Indianapolis. “Survivors who suppress their grief pay the price. The same is true of the community and of the whole Church. And that’s where we’re going now, I think.”
Though our prayers for victims and our Church must be paramount, we must also pray for the good, holy priests who have been committed to their vows and been blindsided by the revelations about their fellow clergy.
“A great cloud hangs over so many of our wonderful priests who remain ever faithful in their witness of priestly ministry and service,” Archbishop Thompson said.
Seven minutes. It may seem like a short amount of time, but on Sept. 15, it spoke poignantly when addressing a crisis of faith.
“I thought it needed to be profound,” Archbishop Thompson said afterward about the amount of time he lay prostrate at the beginning of the holy hour. “It couldn’t be just 10 seconds or a minute. … It’s got to be a time of true penance, true reparation, a time of reflection and pause, and also a pledge for moving forward. Now, by the grace of God, may we do it.”
—Mike Krokos