The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie says he felt sorrow and shame when he heard new reports of sexual abuse by priests and coverups by Catholic church leadership in the United States.
“I feel sick to my stomach, because when I think of all the suffering these victims endured, and their families, it's just not right, and it's just awful,” said Bishop Marcel Damphousse.
Damphousse was referring to a U.S. grand jury report earlier this month that found rampant sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by about 300 priests in six Pennsylvania dioceses over a 70-year period.
Damphousse, whose diocese spans 1,200 kilometres, and serves the districts of West Nipissing, Sudbury, Manitoulin Island and Algoma, is just the latest Catholic official to speak out against the abuse uncovered by the report.
Pope Francis issued a 2,000-word statement addressing the report, although abuse survivors viewed it as recycled rhetoric that fails to acknowledge the Vatican's own role in the situation.
“Looking back to the past, no effort to beg pardon and to seek to repair the harm done will ever be sufficient,” the Pope's letter said, in part.
“Looking ahead to the future, no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated.
“The pain of the victims and their families is also our pain, and so it is urgent that we once more reaffirm our commitment to ensure the protection of minors and of vulnerable adults.”
While the grand jury report speaks about abuse by Catholic priests in the United States, this area is not immune.
An example is the high-profile case of Father William Hodgson Marshall, a teacher and a sports coach at St. Charles College in the 1960s and '70s.
He was convicted in 2011 of indecent assault of 15 boys and one girl, and of sexually assaulting another boy. Marshall died in 2014.
One of Marshall's victims, Rod MacLeod, sued the diocese, along with the Sudbury Catholic District School Board, the Basilian Fathers and Bishop Ronald Fabbro, a former head of the Basilians.
In April, a Toronto judge awarded MacLeod $2.5 million, but lawyers for the Basilians are appealing the verdict. Lawyers for MacLeod described the decision to appeal as proof that the priests are “unapologetic and unrepentant."
This, of course, means the Catholic church is appealing an award by an abuse survivor while at the same time condemning abuse.
Damphousse, who became bishop for the area in late 2015, said the diocese hasn't had much to do with the legal proceedings, although it was one of the parties named in the lawsuit.
He said he thinks the appeal relates to the large amount of money awarded in the case.
“They're not denying there was an abuse,” he said.
The bishop said he wishes the legal system were different, as the Catholic church is unable to make amends to the victims during legal proceedings.
“We're kind of banned to even talk to the victims,” Damphousse said.
He echoes the Pope in saying it's important to listen to victims of abuse and put stricter protocols in place to make sure such things never happen again.
“There are things that we need to continue to work on, in making sure that we prevent as much as possible situations where priests or anyone can victimize vulnerable people,” he said.
Asked if it's possible to root out abuse from the Catholic church, Damphousse said he doesn't know if it's possible to do so completely.
“But I think there's certainly place for improvement,” Damphousse said. “This should just be tolerance zero. This should not be happening.”
-With reports from the Canadian Press
