The four Catholic bishops in Massachusetts are asking parishioners to pray for leaders who attend a major upcoming summit in Rome on preventing the sexual abuse of minors.
In a letter that will be sent to churches this weekend, and obtained by the Globe Friday, the bishops conceded “the sexual abuse crisis ... has again enveloped the life of the Church’’ ahead of the scheduled meeting with Pope Francis on Feb. 21 through Feb 24.
“We ask your prayers for all involved in the Summit Meeting and your appreciation that a three-day meeting will not produce a finished and final plan for a global Church of 1.2 billion people,’’ said the letter, signed by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley and Bishops Robert J. McManus, Mitchell T. Rozanski, and Edgar M. da Cunha.
O’Malley is currently in Rome and will attend the summit.
The bishops also referenced the pain and trauma of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, which exploded with a 2002 Boston Globe Spotlight series and had global repercussions.
“Catholics throughout the United States and the world have struggled with the deepest questions of reason and faith as the multiple issues of sexual abuse by priests and bishops have become public over the last sixteen years,’’ the bishops wrote. “The past year has been especially traumatic, and we again apologize to survivors and their families for all they have endured. We also apologize to the Catholic community for the seemingly unending nature of this scandal and the many questions it raises regarding Church leadership.’’
Last year, the scandal returned to the forefront with revelations that former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, a onetime archbishop of Washington who was among the most prominent leaders in the American church before his resignation, had allegedly abused minors and seminarians.
Also last year, a Pennsylvania grand jury alleged that more than 1,000 children were molested by 300 priests over 70 years in six dioceses of that state alone.
The upcoming summit meeting will take place amid the backdrop of the recent tumult.
“The Summit Meeting, convoked by Pope Francis, will involve the Presidents of over 180 Episcopal Conferences from throughout the world; along with Cardinal O’Malley, participating in his role as President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Children,’’ the bishops wrote.’’
They said meeting attendees will seek “to create a strong consensus throughout the universal Church of zero tolerance of sexual abuse, to develop the programs which will implement this mandate and to put in place the programs of education and prevention needed to keep children safe throughout the world, even and perhaps most especially in countries where government and law enforcement may not be reliable partners in protecting children.’’
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.
