To ask forgiveness for sins of the Catholic Church. This was Pope Francis' purpose in calling for a penitential vigil on the evening before the Synod. The Pope himself wrote out what he considered to be the seven major sins of the Church.
POPE FRANCIS
I wanted to write the requests for forgiveness that some cardinals read, because it was necessary to call by name our major sins, which we hide and say with too polite of words.
Among these cardinals included prefects of dicasteries, like the doctrinal office head, Victor Manuel Fernández, or Cardinal O'Malley, head of the Vatican commission against the abuse of minors.
One of the featured testimonies was from Laurence, who was abused in a village in southern Africa when he was 11 years old. He also spoke of the wound that abuse has opened in the Church.
The consequences of these abuses extend far beyond the walls of the Church. They have shaken the faith of millions, tarnished the reputation of an institution that many look to for guidance, and caused a crisis of trust that reverberates through society.
The other two testimonies came from two women: a nun who spoke about the war in Syria and the regional director of an Italian migrants foundation.
CA
TR: AT
