CARDINAL George Pell expects Pope Benedict XVI to address sexual abuse linked to the church during his coming visit. The Pope met with victims of sexual abuse during a trip to the United States last month.He promised the church would “do everything it can to heal the wounds caused by pedophile priests” and ensure “events of this kind are no longer repeated”.
Cardinal Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney and Australia's catholic leader, said the issue of sex abuse would probably be discussed during the pontiff's visit to Sydney in July.
“I would be surprised if he didn't say something about a matter of such crucial importance,” Cardinal Pell said.
“But what the Pope says is up to the Pope.”
He added that Australian Catholic Church leaders had “apologised both individually and as a collectivity on a number of occasions”.
World Youth Day is expected to attract 500,000 people to a mass with Pope Benedict XVI on his first visit to Australia.
Cardinal Pell said unlike the US events, where he met with local abuse victims, the Pope would be in Sydney on international business.
“But the Holy Father is a sensitive man. He did very well on this score in the United States,” he said.
“But there is one important difference and that is that this is an international event.
“In the United States, he was visiting the church of the United States.”
Cardinal Pell also said it was unlikely the Australian nun, Mother Mary McKillop, would be canonised during the Sydney event.
He said he fully expected Mother Mary, who died in 1909, to be made a saint at some stage, but it was conventional for the church to recognise two miracles before canonisation could occur.
“We've had one miracle recognised. We are waiting for the other,” Cardinal Pell said. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce