Retiring Archbishop Says Sorry for Priest Abuse

Outgoing Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk told parishioners at St. Peter in Chains Catholic Church that he’s sorry for his “inadequate” decisions concerning the priest abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. While the statement of sorrow didn’t include any admission of wrongdoing, it came years after the beleaguered Archbishop had come under fire for covering up for those accused of priest abuse in the Archdiocese. Pilarczyk wasn’t that much different from most other bishops in the United States who clumsily fumbled the abuse crisis from the outset.
The more important question remains-will the apology from the retiring Archbishop mean a new way of operating in the Archdiocese? Will Archbishop Schnurr, a former Bishop of Duluth and US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ bureaucrat, treat those who’ve been abused by clergy differently than his predecessor? Only time will tell.