美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Beyond Anger': Pittsburgh Priest Says Sex Abuse Report 'Shook' Parishioners

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LAKSHMI SINGH, HOST:

As usual, Catholic priests in Pennsylvania will celebrate Mass this evening and tomorrow. But this will be the first weekend since the release of a grand jury report into sexual abuse in six Roman Catholic dioceses in the state. From WESA in Pittsburgh, Kathleen Davis reports on how one priest plans to talk to his parishioners about the report.

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KATHLEEN DAVIS, BYLINE¹: Father Lou Vallone is the priest at St. John of God, a Gothic-style Catholic Church in McKees Rocks, right outside of Pittsburgh.

LOU VALLONE: The church was built in the 1890s. This was a German parish, and so this church is a one-fifth scale model of the pattern of the cathedral in Cologne.

DAVIS: Vallone has been at St. John of God for 15 years, but he's been a priest in Pittsburgh for 45.

VALLONE: Our congregation's an older congregation - aging, dying. We have about 120 funerals a year.

DAVIS: Vallone says the grand jury report has certainly been on the minds of people in his congregation. The investigation² alleges³ 99 former priests in the Pittsburgh diocese have credible⁴ child sexual abuse allegations against them. The report also alleges leaders in the diocese covered up abuse to protect priests.

VALLONE: When the abuse crisis first broke big in the 2000s, people's hearts were broken by the abusers. But people were angry at the people in authority who covered it up. Now it's gone beyond anger, and it is rage.

DAVIS: Valone says these feelings are justified⁵.

VALLONE: It's very disheartening - things that have come out in the report, the things that have been said have really shook people up.

DAVIS: He says he's heard this rage and sadness from not only parishioners but also fellow clergy⁶ members.

VALLONE: And so I am getting much from them. And the battery on my phone wears out about twice a day.

DAVIS: The grand jury investigation named Pittsburgh Bishop⁷ David Zubik as someone who covered up abuse over the years. After the report was released this week, Zubik called upon the church to listen to victims.

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DAVID ZUBIK: We all must take this report to heart. It is a story of people's lives - people who need to be heard, people who need to be healed.

DAVIS: The diocese has requested that all Catholic priests in the Pittsburgh area read a letter at weekend Masses addressing the report. It says, in part, we cannot bury our heads in the sand. There were instances in the past when the church acted in ways that did not respond effectively to victims. The letter also outlines some ways the diocese plans to improve how it addresses and reports abuse, including hiring a former state prosecutor⁸ to review their policies related to child protection.

Father Lou Vallone of St. John of God says he's prepared his own way to address the report. He's added four petitions to the prayers of the faithful, which will be said during Mass. One of them...

VALLONE: For the victims and their families that our true contrition⁹ and purpose of amendment¹⁰ may bring them some solace¹¹ in healing.

DAVIS: Another prays for the abusers. A third is for the clergy in power who covered up crimes that they find humility¹² and justice. And then there's this one.

VALLONE: For all of us as the severely¹³ wounded body of Christ with faith, hope and love. But the gates of hell will not prevail against the Holy Church. But rather we commit with courage to take action so that justice and mercy will somehow meet this crisis.

DAVIS: These prayers will be prayed at every Mass at St. John of God this weekend.

Vallone is retiring in two months. He says the biggest challenge for whoever takes over for him will be figuring out how to draw more young people to the church - a challenge that would exist even without this week's grand jury report.

For NPR News, I'm Kathleen Davis in Pittsburgh.

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