An investigation into priests who raped
minors in Pennsylvania has once again shaken both the Catholic
Church and the Vatican, which on Thursday commented on the issue
and said that it felt "shame and sorrow" over the "horrible
crimes".
After the publication on Tuesday of a detailed grand jury
investigation into abuse in the state over a 70-year period, a
statement said that "the Holy See condemns unequivocally the
sexual abuse of minors".
"There are two words that can express the feelings faced with
these horrible crimes: shame and sorrow," said the statement by
Greg Burke, the director of the Holy See press office.
He said that the "abuses described in the report are criminal
and morally reprehensible. Those acts were betrayals of trust
that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith. The
church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should
be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse
to occur".
The statement added that the Holy See is taking the report
and work done by the grand jury very seriously and that the pope
"is on the side of the victims".
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