The bishops of Australia have asked the faithful of the country to begin the season of Lent with four days of fasting and reparation for victims of sexual abuse within the Church. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in a Feb. 5 message asked Catholics to dedicate Feb. 14-17 as days of fasting and reparation for cases of sexual abuse within the Church.
As reported by catholicnewsagency.com, Australian Bishops remarked that “Our apologies have at time seemed too little – not because they were insincere, but because trust has been broken.” Further, they added, “We stand firm in our resolve to ensure that the abuse of children never happens again in the Catholic Church and to build new bonds of trust. Through fasting, we stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors of abuse whose much deeper hunger is for healing and peace in their lives.”
The bishops released several liturgical and prayer resources for use in the home or in the parish and other public settings.
