15 September 2018
Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Dear Courage and EnCourage Family,
A month ago, the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania made public a Report of a statewide investigating grand jury, which detailed credible allegations of sexual abuse of children and youth in six dioceses in Pennsylvania, and shortcomings in the ways that such allegations were handled by diocesan administrators, particularly diocesan bishops, over the years. The Grand Jury Report followed revelations of sexual misconduct and harassment by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, and all of this news has provoked justifiable anger, sadness and pain among the faithful, particularly among survivors of sexual abuse and their loved ones. "If one member" of the Body of Christ "suffers, all suffer together with it," Saint Paul teaches (1 Cor 12:26), and in these days the suffering of the Church is grave indeed.
The horror of these crimes of sexual abuse and harassment is amplified by the failure of some bishops and diocesan officials to take corrective action against the offenders, and to communicate honestly with the faithful about what has happened and how they are responding. With that in mind, I am writing to you to share some information regarding connections between the Grand Jury Report and Courage International, as well as to discuss some other issues related to the apostolate and how we handle allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior on the part of clergy. [...]
