“I saw the Pope weep.” [Fr. Z]

[Catholic_Opinion]

“Ho visto il Papa piangere”

“I saw the Pope weep.”

There is a story in Italian in La Stampa about the meeting of Pope Benedict XVI in Malta with victims of clerical abuse when they were children.

I teased out his quotes.

One of the outspoken victim, Lawrence Grech, said,

“I saw the Pope weep from emotion and I felt myself freed of a great weight.”

“I did not expect excuses from the Pope but I say in him and in the bishop of Malta the humility of a Church which in that moment represented the entire problem of the modern Church.”

“He put his hand on the head of each one of the participants in the meeting, blessing them. I felt myself freed and relieved of a great weight.”

“For a long time I didn’t go to Mass any more and I had lost faith, but now I feel myself a convinced Catholic.”

Full entry…

 

[spirocatania]

let the hearling of those poor victims begin and may they come back to the true church of christ

 

[Santi2]

One of the outspoken victim, Lawrence Grech, said,

“I saw the Pope weep from emotion and I felt myself freed of a great weight.”

“I did not expect excuses from the Pope but I say in him and in the bishop of Malta the humility of a Church which in that moment represented the entire problem of the modern Church.”

“He put his hand on the head of each one of the participants in the meeting, blessing them. I felt myself freed and relieved of a great weight.”

“For a long time I didn’t go to Mass any more and I had lost faith, but now I feel myself a convinced Catholic.”

I am happy for Mr Grech and those who had the opportunity to meet the Holy Father. I pray and hope that his testimony would help many in the same situation even without the same opportunity of a Papal audience presenting itself.

 

[MercyMia]

This is a beautiful story. I really hope that we as a Church can wrap these victims in our prayer and love, many of them are long overdue for being given a chance to heal.

 

[lelhajj]

i can say that reflecting on the Pope tears, is the face of our Lord weeping for all those victims of sexual abuse. May the Lord bring comfort to their painful hearts and may Him rejoin again our beloved Church.
God have mercy on them and on the whole humanity. Have mercy on us, the sinners.

 

[Fone_Bone_2001]

Yes, I saw this story. God bless the Holy Father; I wish it were possible for him to meet with every victim of sexual abuse by priests.