Day of Atonement Regarding Chastity
Sept 18, 2004
Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua today used Holy Thursday Mass to call his priests to a "day of atonement" for the sexual abuse of children, but predicted the scandals engulfing the Roman Catholic Church will soon give way to its "glorious resurrection."
(Source unknown, 28 March 2002) The annual Chrism Mass, which includes the consecration of holy oils, drew a record 718 priests from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who rose during the Mass and pledged themselves to the ideals of the priesthood.
Minutes before the close of the Mass, Cardinal Bevilacqua announced that he had set April 24 for all priests of the diocese to gather at the diocesan seminary for a day of atonement and sanctification regarding chastity.
Sex abuse of minors is "one of the most depraved of sins," he said, and the Catholic Church must work to "eradicate this horrific misconduct by the clergy or anyone else."
The cardinal urged his priests, to be "holy and faithful shepherds who guide and protect those most previous to the church: our children and youth."
Alluding to the scandals and self-revelations of clergy sex abuse of minors in many Catholic dioceses across the nation - including more than 50 known minors in the Philadelphia Archdiocese since 1952 - Cardinal Bevilacqua acknowledged that many priests report being in "despair" over the crisis.
Day of Atonement Regarding Chastity