ENI — Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation of the Clergy, asked Roman Catholics worldwide, in the Vatican-based Osservatore Romano newspaper, to engage in prayer to make amends for the actions of pedophile priests and to help their victims. The prayers should take the form of the “perpetual adoration” of the Eucharist, where members of the church take turns to maintain a vigil in front of a consecrated host representing the body of Jesus.
Cardinal Hummes said there had always been scandals involving clergy in the Catholic Church, but that “they had blown up in recent times with heavy consequences.” Still, Hummes said, “the great majority of the clergy has nothing to do with such scandals.”
