Now, if someone could just photoshop that to read "I'm such a precious faaaag" for "I took your precious flag" it would pretty much characterize the lowerarchy's official response to date...
Posted on 08/30/2018 3:37:15 PM PDT by markomalley
In an Aug. 30 letter to priests in the archdiocese, Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl asked for "forgiveness for my errors in judgment (and) for my inadequacies."
He asked the priests to accept his "contrition for any suffering I have caused, as well as the grace to find, with you, ways of healing, ways of offering fruitful guidance in this darkness."
A copy of the letter was published online Aug. 30 on the website of the Catholic Standard, archdiocesan newspaper of Washington.
An introduction to the letter on the website said it was attached to an email where the cardinal said: "In this time of so much distress and pain, I send you this letter in the hope that it might tell you of my desire to be close to you and the people entrusted to your pastoral care, particularly as you prepare for this weekend's Masses."
The cardinal said he celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle on Aug. 26, "as so many of you did in your own parish church" focusing on the "spiritual context for so much of the pain, suffering, darkness and disillusionment brought on by the sexual abuse of children and young people by priests and its cover-up by bishops."
"Whatever our response to this spiritual crisis, it has to begin at the altar -- and in prayer," he wrote.
He said the Mass focused on praying for abuse survivors and for the whole church "wounded by the shame and horror of these egregious actions."
"It is our people who also bear a deep hurt because they love their church and do not know what is coming next," he wrote, adding his appreciation for the priests' actions in being there with parishioners "even when there is so little to say, other than prayer."
The cardinal said he also prayed during the Mass for archdiocesan priests, noting: "Each priest -- all of us -- somehow bears the joys and sorrows of one another because we are all rightly seen as sharers in the priesthood."
He asked them to let parishioners know in upcoming weekend Masses Sept. 1-2 that he recognizes and shares their pain.
"Let them know I wish I could wipe it away even though that is simply not possible. I would give anything, as would all of us, to turn the clock around and have the church do everything right," he wrote.
The cardinal said he joins Catholics in "sorrow for all that has happened" and pleads for their "prayerful support as I with you and them try to do whatever I can to help move this church closer to the pathway that leads us from this darkness."
He said he planned to speak at a Sept. 2 Mass about "how we as a church -- all of us laity, religious and clergy -- might begin with faith strengthened in prayer to discern that level of reform rooted in accountability and transparency that would permit the church to enter a new era."
Cardinal Wuerl also asked the priests to "hold close in our prayers and loyalty our Holy Father, Pope Francis," noting that "increasingly, it is clear that he is the object of concentrated attack. At each Mass we pray for him by name. As we do so with our voices may we do so as well with our hearts. "
The cardinal ended his letter by saying he hopes archdiocesan priests "sense something of my anguish for those who have suffered and my sorrow for any of my failures to be there for both the abused and all who now feel a sense of alienation."
"In my heart, I now ask myself what is the way I can best serve this church that I, too, much love," he wrote. "Would you please let the faithful you serve know of my love, my commitment to do whatever is necessary to right what is wrong, and my sincere solidarity with you and them."
(Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, sent the following letter to priests on August 30, 2018. In an email to which the letter was linked, the cardinal noted, “In this time of so much distress and pain, I send you this letter in the hope that it might tell you of my desire to be close to you and the people entrusted to your pastoral care, particularly as you prepare for this weekend’s Masses.”)
Dear Brother Priest,
I very much look forward to our time together on Labor Day, first in prayer and then in conversation. With all the disconcerting news and terrible revelations that have happened, and with such rapidity, I recognize that I have not been as close to you as I need to be to help you and me minister to the people we both love and serve.
Last Sunday at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle, as so many of you did in your own parish church, I offered Holy Mass – a Liturgy focused on the spiritual context for so much of the pain, suffering, darkness and disillusionment brought on by the sexual abuse of children and young people by priests and its cover-up by bishops. Whatever our response to this spiritual crisis, it has to begin at the altar – and in prayer.
As so many of you did, we prayed first for the survivors – those who bear the scars of abuse. On too many occasions over these past three decades as a bishop, I have sat with survivors and their families to listen, to try to be present, to pray and often simply to cry together.
At the Cathedral, as I am sure you did, we also prayed for the whole Church – the Body of Christ – wounded by the shame and horror of these egregious actions. It is our people who also bear a deep hurt because they love their Church and do not know what is coming next. Thank you for being there with them, even when there is so little to say, other than prayer. Your, and I hope my own, ministry is the beginning of some healing.
My prayers and what I asked of those at Mass are also for you. Each priest – all of us – somehow bears the joys and sorrows of one another because we are all rightly seen as sharers in the priesthood. Your ministry is a precious gift to those you serve – to the Body of Christ. I want you to know my desire – even if I have not well expressed it – to be close to you. In the rush to get information to you, I failed to share fully with you my spiritual and fraternal care and offer you and our faithful people a strong sign of pastoral leadership. I hope this effort today and our Labor Day gathering will clearly show my great appreciation, not to say affection, for all of you, my brother priests and the recognition of your efforts to be pastorally present to our people in their struggles.
I ask you, as I did at the Cathedral, for prayers for me, for forgiveness for my errors in judgment, for my inadequacies, and also for your acceptance of my contrition for any suffering I have caused, as well as the grace to find, with you, ways of healing, ways of offering fruitful guidance in this darkness.
This Sunday in our churches all across this great archdiocese, I ask you please to let your people – the men, women and children – we love and minister to and hold in our pastoral care know that I do recognize and share their pain. Let them know I wish I could wipe it away even though that is simply not possible. I would give anything, as would all of us, to turn the clock around and have the Church do everything right. But I do join them in sorrow for all that has happened. I plead for their prayerful support as I with you and them try to do whatever I can to help move this Church closer to the pathway that leads us from this darkness.
At the Mass this Sunday that I shall celebrate, I hope to offer some thoughts on how we as a Church – all of us laity, religious and clergy – might begin with faith strengthened in prayer to discern that level of reform rooted in accountability and transparency that would permit the Church to enter a new era.
Finally, we need to hold close in our prayers and loyalty our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Increasingly, it is clear that he is the object of concentrated attack. At each Mass we pray for him by name. As we do so with our voices may we do so as well with our hearts.
Dear brother in the Lord, I hope you will sense something of my anguish for those who have suffered and my sorrow for any of my failures to be there for both the abused and all who now feel a sense of alienation. In my heart, I now ask myself what is the way I can best serve this Church that I, too, much love.
Would you please let the faithful you serve know of my love, my commitment to do whatever is necessary to right what is wrong, and my sincere solidarity with you and them.
Faithfully in Christ,
Cardinal Donald Wuerl
Archbishop of Washington
Just what is it he is asking forgiveness for?
Without confession, there is no forgiveness.
And he WILL NOT be forgiven by secular authorities even upon confession.
Well la-de-da
Pray for the good priests who do the work of the Lord
Get on your hands and knees and grovel in front of the boy who had the semen washed out of his mouth with holy water. Then I MIGHT believe your ‘brave’ statement.
Listen Donna Girl,
I am most certainly NOT having a crisis of faith. I’m having a “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” moment.
“He asked the priests to accept his “contrition for any suffering I have caused, as well as the grace to find, with you, ways of healing, ways of offering fruitful guidance in this darkness.”
Why should a person be forgiven for his sins against children and young vulnerable men in the seminary? He used his position of power in the church to do these wicked things. He has defamed and hurt my church. He will rot in hell for his actions and his next stop is not at Saint Peter’s gate. Satan awaits him.
Unless the pedophilia and homosexuality is ridden from my church my church will fail and should fail.
As an aside I wish to comment about the multitude of good priests that follow cannon law and are a gift to the church and their parish. They are legion and good. The real corruption of my church is in Rome!
my twelve year old daughter asked last night why I am raising her Catholic. I had to sit my children down at the table and talk to them.
And they talk of “mercy”.
I hope the SOBs get RICOed.
I don’t care if U.S. Marshals end up hauling art treasures out of the Vatican.
If I have to receive Communion in an empty KMart because the church goes bankrupt, so be it.
Get those filthy sodomites OUT of Christ’s Church. OUT!!!!
I am getting tired of being told that the laity needs to pray and fast to cleanse the Church, as if we are at fault somehow. While I agree prayer and fasting is always helpful, what I want to see is a real, public display of penance from the entire Church hierarchy, at minimum the American hierarchy. They caused this problem, they should demonstrate that they acknowledge their error and that they repent and intend to go and sin no more. I don’t ask this of our parish priests, but of bishops and the like. I doubt I’ll see this and expect instead another demand for yet more money from our diocese.
Strike 3 your out Wuerl!
I want the sodomite predators OUT!
I want the sodomite predators OUT!
You can say that again!
That's something they will NOT get from me. I'm already restructuring my family financial support of "the Church" (writ large) to as much as possible keep funds out of the diocese.
There is a difference between a judgement error and a choice for evil. This was not mere bad judgement. The path toward forgiveness starts with sincere confession (in this case in public), remorse, repentance, and restitution.
I am not Catholic but still a big fan of what the Church ought to be. The closest they can come to restitution is to take positive steps to ensure that this never happens again. they must both permanently (for life) remove all guilty clergy and staff from positions where they could ever have access to children, and change the system so future pedophiles cannot get away with the same crimes against children, against the church, and against God that previous predators were able to get away with.
I agree. I don’t think the bishops have missed a meal or a tee time over this. Sackcloth and ashes are needed.
Now, if someone could just photoshop that to read "I'm such a precious faaaag" for "I took your precious flag" it would pretty much characterize the lowerarchy's official response to date...
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