Responding to the Sexual Abuse Crisis

The past month has been a difficult and sad one for the Church in America and for all Catholics. With the resignation from the College of Cardinals Archbishop Theodore McCarrick and the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report, our Church finds itself once again embroiled in the horror and tragedy of sexual abuse perpetrated and hidden by clergy at all levels, and Catholics across the country and the world find themselves confused, angry, and in need of answers and concrete action on the part of the Church’s leaders. Catholics need to be heard, they need encouragement, and they need reassurances about the future of the Church.

Bayard offers multiple resources to help families and those in parish ministry navigate these challenging times, such as the new resource from Twenty-Third Publications titled “Responding to the Sexual Abuse Crisis.” This downloadable supplement to their Parish Emergency Kit can be used as a stand-alone resource. It follows the pastoral approach of the Parish Emergency Kit and is meant to help parish leaders grapple with this issue and address their parishioners’ needs even while not having all the answers, and indeed, while new allegations continue to fill our newsfeeds. “Responding to the Sexual Abuse Crisis” offers suggestions for dealing with the pain and betrayal so many are feeling, along with suggestions for prayers and rituals that can be adapted to an individual parish. The resource is intended to foster deep and meaningful discussion and reassurance that will help lead to the restoration of goodness and hope in our badly wounded Church.

Purchasing the e-resource gives the buyer permission to reproduce the resource for non-commercial use within a parish setting, so pastors and parish leaders can use it with their pastoral leadership teams and other parish ministers. It is available at www.twentythirdpublications.com/retoseabcrni.html.

Also, Bayard’s magazine group provides free digital resources that can be read and distributed to members of the parish community for personal reflection as well as to promote dialogue and healing:

https://www.catechist.com/bringing-healing-wounded-church/

https://www.catechist.com/parents-talking-children-church-scandal/

www.catholicdigest.com/news/from-the-vatican/responding-to-abuse-crisis-pope-asks-church-to-pray-fast/

www.catholicdigest.com/faith/spirituality/coping-with-the-clergy-sex-abuse-crisis/

Bayard condemns the crime of sexual abuse within the Church and its cover-up. Let us pray for healing for all Catholics and for the gift of wisdom for all the Church’s leadership.