In a letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Sacramento, Bishop Jaime Soto asks parishioners to join him in praying for three intentions ahead of the USCCB Fall General Assembly.
Following is the full text of Bishop Soto's letter. A Spanish translation is available at the bottom.
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October 31, 2018
Dear Friends in Christ:
On Monday, November 12th, I will join my brother bishops for the week-long assembly of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. At this meeting, we will make critical decisions regarding the scourge of sex abuse by clergy in our Church. I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to act as vigilant guardians of the young and vulnerable in our Church.
Each bishop must confront the past and the shameful history of priests and bishops who betrayed the trust placed in them by the People of God. Children and young people were scarred by horrible, wicked crimes committed by the very people they had been taught to rely on as spiritual leaders. We must seek atonement for these sins and work continually to be worthy of the trust of God’s people. Only after such atonement can we expect there to be confidence in the measures we take to safeguard the vulnerable in our parishes, schools and ministries.
To prepare for this assembly, I ask all of you to join me in prayer for three intentions:
- For the healing and support of all victims of clergy sexual abuse.
- For the conversion and just punishment of the perpetrators and concealers of sexual abuse.
- For the strength of the bishops to be holy shepherds in protecting and leading God’s people from all harm.
Thank you for your prayers. Please know that I am grateful for them, and that I hold you in my prayers as well.
Respectfully,
+Jaime Soto
Bishop of Sacramento
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