…Many of you have told us of the horror, grief and outrage you felt as you read the Royal Commission’s report and survivors’ accounts of abuse and the scale of that abuse. The sins and the crimes of our people – priests, religious and lay – working in Catholic settings fill us all with shame….
In this week of apology, we renew our sincere and unconditional apology to victims of abuse in the Catholic Church. We do so knowing that words alone can never replace what was stolen and can never fully restore that which was destroyed.
Full letter here
Litany of Lament, November 2024
At Masses on November 16/17, parishes also led a Litany of Lament, a specific type of prayer that can channel our anger and rekindle our thirst for justice in an unjust world.
Prayer is a time to be honest with God about how we really feel. ‘Lament’ is a specific type of prayer that can channel our anger and rekindle our thirst for justice in an unjust world.
This Litany of Lament gives the Church the chance to publicly acknowledge our sins and to call upon God’s mercy and compassion.
Priest: Merciful God, we acknowledge and lament the horrors of violence and cruelty inflicted on all those who suffered abuse at the hands of the Church. We come before you begging for your mercy.
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned
All: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Reader: We lament the crimes and sins of sexual, physical, emotional and spiritual abuse perpetrated by clergy against children, young people and vulnerable adults. We lament the failure of pastors and shepherds who did not respond to the cries of the abused, the arrogant and suspicious attitudes towards them, the inability to admit wrongdoing.
We pray…
All: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Reader: We lament the crimes and sins of sexual, physical, emotional and spiritual abuse perpetrated by religious men and women against children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We lament the betrayal of trust and ‘power’ over victims; and the sadness and distress of loved ones of victims who have been left to grieve with unanswered questions.
We pray…
All: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Reader: We lament the crimes and sins of sexual, physical, emotional and spiritual abuse perpetrated by lay men and women against children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We lament the many lives tragically cut short by the indescribable pain of abuse, and the deep pain of those who have been unable to share their story.
We pray…
All: Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Priest: Let us pray.
Father of endless love, ever caring, ever strong, always present, always just: You gave your only Son to save us by the blood of his cross.
Jesus, shepherd of peace, join to your own suffering the pain of all who have been hurt in body, mind and spirit by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.
Hear the cries of all who have been gravely harmed, and the cries of those who love them.
Soothe their hearts with hope, steady their shaken spirits, and lighten their burdens.
Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts, heal your people’s wounds and brokenness.
Grant us the courage and wisdom, humility and grace, to act justly.
Grant that all harmed by abuse may find peace.
Through Christ, our Lord.
All: Amen.
Find out more about the Church’s work to nurture a culture of Safeguarding
On this site you can also find a pathway to share your story or make a formal complaint about abuse within the Church community, with the National Office for Professional Standards.
