Acta Benedicti Pp. XVI 209

LITTERAE PASTORALES

Litterae Pastorales ad christifideles catholicos in Hibernia.

1. Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Church in Ireland, it is with great

concern that I write to you as Pastor of the universal Church. Like your-

selves, I have been deeply disturbed by the information which has come to

light regarding the abuse of children and vulnerable young people by mem-

bers of the Church in Ireland, particularly by priests and religious. I can only

share in the dismay and the sense of betrayal that so many of you have

experienced on learning of these sinful and criminal acts and the way Church

authorities in Ireland dealt with them.

As you know, I recently invited the Irish bishops to a meeting here in

Rome to give an account of their handling of these matters in the past and to

outline the steps they have taken to respond to this grave situation. Together

with senior officials of the Roman Curia, I listened to what they had to say,

both individually and as a group, as they offered an analysis of mistakes

made and lessons learned, and a description of the programmes and protocols

now in place. Our discussions were frank and constructive. I am confident

that, as a result, the bishops will now be in a stronger position to carry

forward the work of repairing past injustices and confronting the broader

issues associated with the abuse of minors in a way consonant with the

demands of justice and the teachings of the Gospel.

2. For my part, considering the gravity of these offences, and the often

inadequate response to them on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities in

your country, I have decided to write this Pastoral Letter to express my

closeness to you and to propose a path of healing, renewal and reparation.

It is true, as many in your country have pointed out, that the problem of

child abuse is peculiar neither to Ireland nor to the Church. Nevertheless, the

task you now face is to address the problem of abuse that has occurred within

the Irish Catholic community, and to do so with courage and determination.

No one imagines that this painful situation will be resolved swiftly. Real

progress has been made, yet much more remains to be done. Perseverance

and prayer are needed, with great trust in the healing power of God's grace.

At the same time, I must also express my conviction that, in order to

recover from this grievous wound, the Church in Ireland must first acknowl-

edge before the Lord and before others the serious sins committed against