Bishops in Hungary ask for forgiveness for abuse

After several cases of abuse by priests in Hungary came to light, two of the country's bishops have publicly asked for forgiveness. 

The Bishop of Kaposvar, Laszlo Varga, wrote in a pastoral letter that he apologised to God and to the children and young people affected. 

In a similar letter, the Bishop of Vac, Zsolt Marton, addressed "God, the children and their families as well as all those who were affected by abuse by the servants of the Church".

Marton, who is also the Hungarian "family bishop", assured that the educational work that had begun would continue with a focus on prevention - in line with the zero-tolerance principle proclaimed by Pope Francis. 

Bishop Varga called on the perpetrators to repent and turn back. 

The faithful should also pray for a "purification of the Church".

Scandals preoccupy the public

The Hungarian public has been discussing abuse scandals in the church for weeks. 

At the beginning of December, the Bishops' Conference issued a brief statement for the first time. 

It assured the public that it was endeavouring to clarify and prevent. The church stands by those affected and the affected communities, the statement said.

Most recently, the Archabbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma, Cirill Hortobagyi, spoke out in favour of dealing with cases of abuse in a transparent manner. 

For a long time, Hungary's church had been too cautious in dealing with the issue. 

Now reparation is needed, which requires more than simply listening to those affected. 

Genuine listening and the open confession of the bishops are indispensable in order to set healing processes in motion. Under no circumstances should we return to a "culture of concealment". 

"The public is not our enemy, but an important ally in matters of enlightenment," emphasised the archabbot.