Statement by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone following in-Court Survivor Statement Hearings

This week, as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, I attended two in-court listening sessions for survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by priests and lay people exercising ministry in the Catholic Church. Sadly, the sexual abuse of children and young people remains horrifically rampant in society today, and hearing such powerful testimonies, which required great courage on the part of those who survived this horror in their life, leaves no doubt as to the depth of the evil of such iniquity.

I extend a heart-felt apology to all those who have suffered harm because of the sins of some Church ministers. While these acts occurred far in the past, those who endured the abuse still bear the scars and, institutionally we all, today, nonetheless have to take responsibility for what has happened. I hope that by listening to survivors of sexual abuse, I can contribute in some small way to the healing of these beloved children of God.

Several survivors in these listening sessions asked that we do everything in our power to accelerate the Chapter 11 process to help them achieve some level of closure. I agree with their perspective. We have worked diligently toward transparency and a timely resolution in collaboration with the other parties involved in this bankruptcy process, and I hope that by doing so we will be able to fulfill this desire of theirs.

An apology can only be sincere if action is taken to ensure that it never happens again. For this, I am grateful to my predecessors who enacted measures for the protection of children and young people in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The Archdiocese’s current policies can be found here. On the national level, the U.S. bishops also commissioned two studies by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice on the extent of this problem in the Catholic Church in the United States, the Nature and Scope Study and the Causes and Context Study.

I remain committed to doing all I can faithfully to implement the policies and procedures of the Archdioceses of San Francisco and the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and the Essential Norms of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Please join me, too, in praying for all survivors of sexual abuse.

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