On the second day of Francis’ extraordinary gathering, the focus of debate shifted to how church leaders must acknowledge that decades of their own cover-ups, secrecy and fear of scandal had only worsened the crisis.
Francis summoned 190 bishops and other senior church figures for the four-day tutorial on preventing abuse and protecting children after the scandal erupted last year in Chile and again in the US.
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said new legal procedures are needed, and that lay experts must be involved at every step of the process to investigate and punish Catholic leaders when they cover up abuse.
Mumbai Cardinal Oswald Gracias said bishops must hold themselves accountable and work together because the problem is not confined to one part of the world.
He said: “We must repent, and do so together, collegially, because along the way we have failed. We need to seek pardon.”
Cardinal Cupich said rank-and-file Catholics know far better than priests what trauma abuse and cover-up has caused.
“In large part it is the witness of the laity, especially mothers and fathers with great love for the church, who have pointed out movingly and forcefully how gravely incompatible the commission, cover-up and toleration of clergy sexual abuse is with the very meaning and essence of the church,” he said.
“Mothers and fathers have called us to account, for they simply cannot…
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