CHARLOTTE — Bishop Peter Jugis spoke publicly for the first time since August about the recent child sexual abuse scandal that is shaking the Catholic Church in the U.S., addressing the faithful at the opening of the 14th annual Eucharistic Congress Sept. 7. The congress, he said, will be an opportunity to “to beg God… to cleanse and purify the Church of these sins.”
It was the Charlotte bishop’s first public comment since Aug. 17, when he released a written statement in response to recent allegations of sexual misconduct against Church leaders, including a retired archbishop of Washington, D.C., and the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing decades of child sexual abuse by hundreds of priests in six dioceses of that state.
On Friday evening, during his regularly scheduled welcome remarks to open the congress, Bishop Jugis said this is a time for all Catholics to pray.
“Throughout the congress,” he said, “we want to offer prayers of reparation, because as we all know from the horrible revelations from last month, that the horrible sins of abuse and misconduct and the sins of abuse of power and position have reared their ugly heads in the Church, and for this we are saddened and outraged.”
“During our prayers during this congress, we will beg God to have mercy on the Church, especially praying for these intentions that the Lord God cleanse and purify the Church of these sins which have so seriously wounded the Church and that God will bring healing to victims and help us – all of us, all of the faithful – to rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of holiness of life.”
Bishop Jugis will also join Catholics in praying the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary during the Holy Hour on Saturday morning – turning what is usually a quiet Holy Hour into a more solemn Holy Hour of Reparation for the healing for all victims of abuse and for the healing of the Church.
The bishop will also focus on the turmoil in the Church during his homily at the closing Mass of the congress Saturday afternoon, Sept. 8.
After Bishop Jugis' welcome, the faithful prayed the Byzantine Rite Great Vespers which were chanted by Father Joseph Matlak, pastor, and Deacon Matthew Hanes, along with parishioners of St. Basil the Great Mission (Byzantine Rite) of Charlotte.
On this, the evening of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Byzantine Rite acknowledges this feast as well as the commemoration of her parents, Sts. Joachim and Anne.
Following Vespers, author and radio host Trent Horn gave a talk entitled “The Beginner’s Guide to Defending the Faith.”
A Eucharistic procession to St. Peter Church then followed Horn’s address. Nocturnal Adoration is open to the public until Saturday morning at 8 a.m.
Young adults were invited Friday evening to a special College Night program for college students during which Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers of EWTN was scheduled to speak.
Saturday’s congress events kick off at 9 a.m. with a Eucharistic procession that follows a route from St. Peter Church to the Charlotte Convention Center. A Holy Hour – featuring a homily by Benedictine Father Cassian Folsom, an American-born monk now living in the Monastery of San Benedetto in Norcia, Italy – will immediately follow the procession at 10:15 a.m.
An English track, Spanish track, Vietnamese program, youth and other tracks will be offered throughout the day. Bishop Peter Jugis will celebrate Mass at the conclusion of the congress Saturday at 4:15 p.m.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Photos by John Cosmas, Catholic News Herald
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