Friends:
As noted in a recent message from Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the sexual abuse scandal in the Church has been and continues to be a “moral catastrophe.” It summarizes the pain and scandal caused by those clergy and laity ministering in the church who sexually abuse minors and vulnerable adults. Even more the “moral catastrophe” stems from the failure of us as a body of bishops to have better accountability for our oversight of our flock and of each other. I am so very, very sorry.
I want to uplift Pope Francis’ message for all of us to consider as we work together to create better structures of accountability, especially in the case of bishops who abused minors or failed to act in the face of abuse in their own dioceses. These are moral failures and criminal acts that need careful attention. Please find attached to this message the following:
Pope Francis Letter to the People of God ENGLISH | SPANISH
Cardinal DiNardo Message to the U.S. Church ENGLISH | SPANISH
Be assured of my prayers for all of you. Kindly place in prayer all victims of sexual abuse too. They and the healing of their pain need to remain our key focus.
+Bishop Joseph Tyson
Diocese of Yakima