Pope meets privately with victims of priestly sexual abuse

Published: 2008-04-17

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI held an unscheduled meeting with victims of priestly sexual abuse, shortly after pledging the church's continued efforts to help heal the wounds caused by such acts. The Vatican said the pope met privately in a chapel at the apostolic nunciature with "a small group of persons who were sexually abused by members of the clergy." The group was accompanied by Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, which was the epicenter of the abuse scandal. "They prayed with the Holy Father, who afterward listened to their personal accounts and offered them words of encouragement and hope," a Vatican statement said. "His Holiness assured them of his prayers for their intentions, for their families and for all victims of sexual abuse," it said. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican press spokesman, told journalists the meeting involved five or six victims, men and women from the Archdiocese of Boston, and lasted about 25 minutes. During the encounter, each of the victims had a chance to speak personally to the pope, who spoke some "very affectionate words," he said. Father Lombardi said it was a very emotional meeting; some were in tears.

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