Cardinal Cobo on abuses: It is not just about forgiveness, but about welcoming and repairing

Cardinal José Cobo presided over the act of recognition of the victims of abuse held this Monday in the Archdiocese of Madrid (Spain), to whom he assured that “it is not only or primarily about asking for forgiveness, but about welcoming, making reparation.” and to restore and include his process and his life in the heart of the Church.”

The Archbishop of Madrid explained before starting the event, whose motto was We don’t want to turn the pagethat “this is not a meeting simply for the victims. “It is a meeting with the victims.”

The cardinal also specified that beyond forgiveness, what is intended is to “walk with them, with their pain” and “open new paths” within the Catholic Church.

“It is not about saying we forget and begin a new stage, but we are going to walk with the wisdom and authority of the victims, with everything they have given us and are giving us,” the cardinal noted before underlining: “ We cannot say: Nothing has happened here, but ‘here it has happened’. And we want to learn from their voice.”

The voice of the victims: “The institution has almost hurt me more than the aggressor.”

The event was divided into three different moments. In the first, the voices of the victims of abuse were heard, through texts written by them that were read by anonymous people. As a porch to his words, the lament contained in Psalm 13 was read: “How long, Lord, will you continue to forget me? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I be worried, with a heavy heart all day? How long will my enemy triumph?”

Among these testimonies, deep-seated expressions could be heard such as “you are a victim and, at the same time, you consider yourself an accomplice, and you disgust yourself”; “It wasn’t just one person who abused me, it was abused by an entire community that allows it”; “Whoever abused me managed to corrupt my world of relationships, betrayed me by providing me with help that he always charged for and manipulated me.”

Other testimonies explained their pain like this: “The institution has almost hurt me more than the aggressor. “It has taken them 10 years to receive me and believe me… The dilettante, distant, legalistic and cold attitude of some ecclesiastics and cover-ups has greatly damaged my soul and my relationship with God.”

Cobo: “We recognize that there have been abusers within the Church. It has cost us”

Once inside the temple, a penitential act was held in which Cardinal José Cobo, from the chair located in the presbytery, shared some reflections that began by addressing the victims: “You are in the heart of our Church and there we want you to be. continue, even when sometimes we have not been responsible or Samaritans with your pain.”

The cardinal shared that “the tears and wounds have opened our eyes to recognize that we have not cared for the victims, that we have not defended you and that we have resisted understanding you when you needed it most. “We are deeply sorry.”

“In this act we recognize that there have been abusers within the Church. It has been difficult for us to recognize it. They are the opposite of what we intended to announce and do. The fact that there are them in other places is of no consolation to us. Thank you for confronting us with the naked truth, which is the only thing that sets us free,” he added.

Cardinal Cobo also recognized that “What we do will never be enough to repair what has happened,” telling the victims that “we only have faith and the courage of your wounds left.”

“I hope that your pain turns into hope, since it is anointed by the same suffering of Christ. That is why we are here,” the cardinal further expressed, stating on behalf of the Church that is pilgrim in Madrid that “we will move forward, without possible retreat and with measures that do not give rise to misunderstandings” to address abuses.

Cardinal Cobo stressed that “the Lord will judge us for what we did with the most vulnerable people” while affirming that “it is no longer about, neither only nor primarily about asking for forgiveness, but about welcoming, repairing and restoring and including its process and its life in the heart of the Church.”

“The testimony that the victims offer denounces a set of terrible practices that have to be closed forever,” the cardinal proclaimed. To do this, he pointed out, it is necessary to “insist on the purification of spiritual accompaniment, the help of the ordinary means of the Church such as prayer and the sacraments, avoiding everything esoteric and extraordinary, and emphasizing absolute respect for the freedom of each conscience.” and the physical and spiritual indemnity due to each person.”

An olive tree to remember

To conclude the event, the Archdiocese of Madrid planted an olive tree inside the atrium of the Cathedral, in a visible place, near the street. Before being placed, Cardinal Cobo explained that “the olive tree, with its scars, shows the perennial greenery and teaches us that the miracle of the consolation of oil and of the life that makes its way when the roots embrace solid ground is possible.”

“Like each of its leaves, you, surviving victims, with the steps taken are the ones who remain flourishing in the life of the Church, for your courage and your authority. May its silver leaves express our irrevocable pact to always walk with you. May this olive tree remind us how God leads us to recognition, reparation and peace,” the cardinal concluded.

At the foot of the olive tree a plaque has been placed with the text: “In memory of all the victims of abuse in our Church. ‘Every time you did it to one of these, you did it to me.’”