Pope Benedict said sex abuse is a “heinous crime” and a “grave sin” in a meeting with two dozen bishops from Ireland, a country that has been rocked by charges of widespread abuse and cover-ups in church institutions.
The bishops wrapped up a two-meeting with Pope Benedict and top Vatican officials today before heading back to Ireland for Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.
Four bishops have already offered their resignations following the November publication of the Murphy Commission Report, which said cover-up of abuse in the Archdiocese of Dublin over the last 30 years was constant.
Benedict told Irish Catholics he felt betrayal and shame at the report’s findings, and promised to write a pastoral letter on the subject. That letter will be published during Lent.
A Vatican statement today said the Pope realizes the current situation won’t be resolved quickly, but that he challenged the Irish bishops to face the crisis with honesty and courage.
“The Holy Father observed that the sexual abuse of children and young people is not only a heinous crime, but also a grave sin which offends God and wounds the dignity of the human person created in his image,” the statement said.
Benedict has been quicker to respond to charges of sex abuse in the church than his predecessor, John Paul II, and spoke out forcefully against it on trips to both the United States and Australia. He also met with victims while in the U.S.