Pope Benedict’s Address Leaves Much to Be Desired.

June 14, 2010-Boston – During Pope Benedict’s address to 50,000 priests in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff begged forgiveness from God and the survivors of clergy abuse and promised “to do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur again.” But how is that different from prior statements with no change in behavior?

The repeated statements of apology coming from Rome without any corresponding action highlight the sad fact that the Vatican simply does not understand the gravity of the situation.

“We are in the midst of a crisis of confidence, a crisis of belief in the institutional church,” says Voice of the Faithful president Dan Bartley. “Words are no longer enough. Words will inspire confidence and loyalty only when they are accompanied by action. The more apologies that the Vatican piles on without meaningful action, the greater the cynicism these words will inspire.”