VICTIMS NOT WELCOME
NEWS: VIDEO REPORTS
PA bishop spurns abuse survivors
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TRANSCRIPT
Scranton, Pennsylvania bishop Joseph Bambera offered yet another Mass for abuse victims. But just like last year's Mass, victims weren't invited. Church Militant's Dr. William Mahoney explains what happened.
On April 7, Bambera held a healing Mass for survivors of clerical sex abuse at Scranton's Cathedral of St. Peter. Although April is "National Child Abuse Prevention Month," none of the victims of clerical abuse were invited.
At a weekday Mass held last year, Bambera offered similar sentiments: "To the survivors who join with me this day, I again apologize for the pain that has been inflicted on far too many of you by leaders in our Church."
Scranton abuse survivor Michael Baumann responded to last year's Mass: "We are relegated to a Thursday matinee stunt. That seems to sum up the quality of the bishop's resolve in addressing the raping of children and vulnerable adults by priests and other diocesan employees."
Baumann opined victims should have been present at this year's Mass: "They should stand silently in the pews to let the bishop know we are here and we are not buying his brand of false contrition." According to Baumann and others, this Mass is nothing more than theater.
Last year, Church Militant reported on several instances where Bambera has either covered up for abusers or was slow to act on them. Unfortunately, cover-up bishops like Bambera are common in the United States. He and other bishops refuse to speak out against clerical sodomites — and most abuse victims are male.
Be sure to go to ChurchMilitant.com to watch our special reports involving Bambera, titled "The Scranton Cesspool" and "PA Predator on the Prowl."
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