Statement of the Archdiocese of Boston
WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)-- At the invitation of the Holy Father Pope Benedict, Cardinal Sean O'Malley today accompanied a small group of survivors of sexual abuse by clergy to a meeting. The survivors, men and women from the Archdiocese of Boston, prayed with the Holy Father, received his consoling words and shared with him the pain of their experiences and their hope for continued healing. The Holy Father assured survivors that, as he stated in parts of his visit to the United States, there is no place in the priesthood for those who would abuse children and the Church is fully committed to do everything in its power to assure the protection of children. Cardinal Sean O'Malley said, "The meeting was a very moving experience for all who participated. I shared with the Holy Father that the sex abuse crisis has been a wound on the body of Christ and that we look to him as our shepherd, representing Christ the Good Shepherd in our midst. The Holy Father shared that he has come to the United States with great sorrow in his heart over this crisis and has been continuously praying for all who were affected." Archdiocese of Boston Terrence Donilon, 401-480-0171 Terrence_Donilon@rcab.org Copyright Business Wire 2008
