First Official Day On The Job For Archbishop Chaput
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Archbishop Charles Chaput formally assumed control of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia during mass Thursday afternoon at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on the Ben Franklin Parkway.
Chaput takes the reins knowing his first job is confronting the clerical abuse scandal here in Philadelphia. He says he knows what he's facing as he becomes the shepherd of the region's more than 1.5 million Catholics.
Chaput says he only recently finished reading two grand jury reports on the priest abuse scandal.
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"I actually got sick to my stomach because of the terrible things that were described there."
Chaput says the misconduct is foreign to his own experience.
"I grew up in the church when so much in the history when so much has happened and I never saw any of that personally. So, it was a great surprise to me when these things began to become public. I have great confidence in the Lord and he'll lead us through this."
Chaput says he's willing to meet with the victims, their families, and even the families of those priests who have admitted or been found culpable of wrongdoing or even accused to offer a hand in healing their lives.
Reported by Mark Abrams, KYW Newsradio
