Portugal holds vigil for Catholic Church victims

Name: Portugal holds vigil for Catholic Church victims
Uploaded: 23 Feb 2023, 01:25:34 PM
Duration: 01:38
Channel: TIMESOFINDIA.COM

2 views | Feb 23, 2023, 01:25:34 PM | AP

Hundreds of faithful in Lisbon marked Ash Wednesday with a vigil of silence and prayer for the victims of sexual abuse by the Portuguese Catholic Church. The vigil was held outside the Jeronimos Monastery, one of the most iconic monuments of the Portuguese capital. Organisers said the vigil aimed to acknowledge the pain of the victims, to show solidarity and to ask for forgiveness as part of the collective Catholic community. The vigil was held a week after an independent committee announced that more than 4,800 individuals may have been victims of child sex abuse perpetrated by members of the Church. For one year, the expert panel looked into historic abuse in the institution and validated at least 512 direct reports from alleged victims or from their relatives who have come forward with stories of abuse. The report focused on abuse of minors and caused shockwaves across the Church and the wider community.