Bishop Zinkula regarding the letter from Pope Francis

Bishop Zinkula regarding the letter from Pope Francis

From Most. Rev. Thomas R. Zinkula, Bishop of Davenport
August 22, 2018

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
On August 20, 2018, the Holy Father sent a letter to the whole People of God.[1] “With shame and repentance” he acknowledged the failings of the Church in light of the new revelations of sexual abuse and misuse of power by clergy in Pennsylvania, and at the highest levels of the hierarchy.

Acknowledging the efforts that have been made to address this crisis, he went on to say that “[t]ogether with those efforts, every one of the baptized should feel involved in the ecclesial and social change that we so greatly need. This change calls for a personal and communal conversion that makes us see things as the Lord does.”

In other words, Pope Francis is telling us that truth is the first step of healing. And he is calling us to a deeper solidarity with those who have suffered abuse at the hands of the Church; to truly “see” them and their suffering; to not turn a blind eye. So, how do we open our eyes and hearts? The Pope calls us to the time-honored disciplines of prayer and penance. Such is the path to holiness.

In that light, I am joining with the Holy Father in calling all of us to devote ourselves to prayer and penance in a particular way on the Fridays of September...