Bishop Zubik Reacts To Pope Francis' Apology
PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - Allegations of sexual abuse have plagued the Catholic Church and its clergy members in recent years, so Pope Francis has made it his mission to put an end to the scandals and make progress on the way they are handled.
Pope Francis reached out to victims of sexual abuse, some of whom were present during his homily during mass. Today he asked for forgiveness for those church leaders who did not "respond adequately" to reports of sexual abuse.
"I beg your forgiveness, too, for the sins of omission on the part of Church leaders who did not respond adequately to reports of abuse made by family members, as well as by abuse victims themselves," the pope said, according to CBS News.
Victim advocacy groups are already speaking out against the Pope's comments, calling them nothing more than a public relations move. Bishop David Zubik told Robert Mangino on the KDKA Afternoon News, that is not the case nor the Pope's intentions.
"I think that the fact that people will look at something the Pope has done and say well this is nothing than a public relations act, and I think that you know in your own profession and I know mine in terms of being Bishop, that there will be many times people will try to read in and rationale for why I do the things that I do as bishop," Zubik said.
Bishop Zubik reacted to the Pope's homily by saying his visits and conversations with the victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church prove their complaints have not fallen on deaf ears.
"You have to give him the credit that he sat down and listened to what each of those victims had to say. Certainly from his homily you can see what they had to say to him brought great tears to his eyes and I can say the same thing has happened to me in my own ministry. Your heart has to be moved when you are really listening to somebody," Zubik said.
You can listen to the whole interview with Bishop David Zubik here now.
Bishop Reacts to Pope's Homily
You can listen to the KDKA Afternoon News weekdays 3-7 p.m.
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