April 3, 2023
Dear Friends in Christ,
As Holy Week begins, I ask you to join me in prayer for victim-survivors of child abuse. I expect the Baltimore City Circuit Court will soon authorize the Maryland Office of Attorney General to release its report into child sexual abuse by some ministers of the Church and the Archdiocese’s own past failures in responding to such allegations. The evil of child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which is the subject of the report, spans largely from the early 1940s to the mid-1990s. All of this will be devastating to read, especially for victim-survivors, and yet another painful reminder of failings in the Church’s past and the terrible harm inflicted on many innocent children.
Please pray that God’s loving presence brings victim-survivors lasting comfort and complete healing. Pray for the Lord Jesus Christ to guide His Church on a continued path toward reconciliation. Pray that our collective sorrow is forever channeled into the steadfast protection of all of God’s children.
Though the Archdiocese has made great strides over the last three decades to rid the Church of the scourge of abuse and to set the standard for how institutions should respond to allegations of child sexual abuse, the report covers a period in the Archdiocese’s past when our response to such allegations was woefully inadequate. Much has been and will be said about our failures in this regard. Please know that more than 20 years ago, the Archdiocese was among the first dioceses to publish a list of priests and brothers accused of child sexual abuse. For decades, the Archdiocese has also been reporting allegations to law enforcement when they are learned, and no one credibly accused of child abuse is in ministry in the Archdiocese today.
Once the report is released, please expect a full response and pastoral letter from me concerning the report.
More than anything, in this moment, though, I want to pause to recognize and validate that the vile and horrifying abuse that is the subject of the Attorney General’s investigation represents a grave betrayal, and that it has had devastating consequences for victim-survivors.
The report is likely to evoke many emotions: anger, disgust, disillusionment and sadness among them. On behalf of the Archdiocese, I offer my heartfelt apology to the victim-survivors and their families once again today, as I will tomorrow and every day that an expression of regret and atonement is meaningful to those who have suffered. I ask, too, that the faithful accept this acknowledgment of the wrong that was done, my remorse for the past failings and an unwavering pledge to build upon the work of the past three decades to ensure no one is ever again harmed by a representative of the Church.
I am committed to accompanying the parishioners of the Archdiocese as you each seek to come to terms with the contents of the report. And just as I offer you my prayers, so I ask that you consider praying for the priests of today’s Church who carry the burden of the sins of the past as they work to proclaim the Gospel to a world so desperately in need of hearing the good news of Jesus Christ. They and their supporting staff are working hard to sustain safe environments the Church has established for the last three decades.
May this public accounting help to usher in a new era of peace for people who were harmed, strength for our communities of faith and restoration for the Church in Maryland and beyond.
With sincere personal regards, I am
Faithfully in Christ,
Most Reverend William E. Lori
Archbishop of Baltimore
To view a video message from Archbishop Lori , visit: https://youtu.be/nB398qyxxtw
In Spanish: https://www.archbalt.org/un-mensaje-del-arzobispo-lori-sobre-la-proxima-publicacion-del-informe-del-fiscal-general-de-maryland/