A Concord Pastor Comments: 10 years later: reflections on the abuse crisis

Image: Boston Globe

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the revelations of the sexual abuse of children by priests in the Archdiocese of Boston. Some anniversaries are happy and others, like this one, are somber.

In addition to a number of interviews in the print media, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, has issued a document titled, Ten Years Later – Reflections on the Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Archdiocese of Boston. It's a review of the last 10 years and how survivors, their families, the archdiocese, priests and parishioners have responded to this crisis. It's not a lengthy document and I'd encourage you to read it and the Cardinal's cover letter which are available on the archdiocesan website (click on the two links under "Announcements").

Here's a portion of the reflections:

Our Priority
Since the time I was named Archbishop of Boston in July of 2003 our highest priority has been to provide outreach and care for all the survivors of clergy sexual abuse and to do everything possible to make sure this abuse never happens again. This priority will be central to all of our efforts going forward; all initiatives, plans, and programs will be structured with reference to outreach and care for survivors and the protection of children.

With the assistance of those who oversee the Archdiocese’s Office for Pastoral Support and Outreach, it has been my privilege and a source of great humility to meet with hundreds of survivors and their families. Their voices, stories, faces, and tears have helped me to understand how deeply those who were abused and their families and loved ones were harmed. Some of the most deeply moving moments have been meetings with families who have lost loved ones who were abused, to suicide or drug overdose. Our having prayed for peace and for the repose of the souls of the departed will be always held in my heart and my memory. I have also been deeply moved by meetings with survivors and family members when men and women who have suffered the most egregious abuse shared that they are striving each day to forgive the man who perpetrated the abuse. This is an extraordinary and humbling sign of God’s goodness beyond all measure, and a message of courage, hope and love.

Survivors have made clear that the Church must do everything possible to make sure that what happened to them never happens again. On behalf of the entire Church, I pledge our vigilance as we continue to help those that had been harmed. One of our most important efforts has been to provide outreach and care to survivors and their families. Through the Office of Pastoral Support and Outreach (OPSO), the Archdiocese of Boston continues to reach out to all who have been hurt by clergy sexual abuse. OPSO has met with over 1,000 survivors and family members. As one measure of our commitment, during the past seven years, the Archdiocese has spent more than $7 million to provide counseling, medicines, and other services for survivors and their families. At any given time, we are providing assistance for approximately 300 people.