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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ChurchMilitant.com) - Bishop James Johnston, Jr. held a Service of Lament at Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday for the priestly sex abuse that rocked the Church in 2002.

Although not an official ceremony of the Catholic Church, about 450 people assembled with Bp. Johnston and many priests and deacons of the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph for the ceremony. All clergy wore purple stoles as a symbol of repentance as they listened to comments by abuse survivors.

During the ceremony, survivors were given an opportunity to address the clergy. One commented, "When I was brave enough to tell you the truth, you chose to side with my abuser." Another said, "The pain was so intense, I did not want to live."

Bishop Johnston also addressed the crowd. "I am here to confess, apologize and repent for the sins of those who held the sacred trust of the Church, and betrayed that trust."

He continued, "As sinful and terrible as this was and is, it is the response of the Church that provides a most dire cause for confession."

"We at times failed to act," he admitted, "to respond with urgency and integrity. We betrayed your trust. I offer you my deep sorrow and profound regret for what the Catholic people have endured."

Bishop Johnston promised he will "review current policy and implement best practices" to avoid abuse situations in his diocese.

No mention was made, however, by Bp. Johnston to address homosexuality as the main cause of sexual abuse in the American Church.

As ChurchMilitant.com earlier reported, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops admitted in 2004 that the vast majority of abuse cases — over 80 percent — were of "a homosexual nature." They affirmed that "an understanding of the crisis is not possible" without referring to "the presence of homosexually oriented priests."

Dr. Paul McHugh of Johns Hopkins, a member of the National Review Board, confirmed that the priestly sex abuse scandal was "homosexual predation on American Catholic youth."

In 2005 Pope Benedict XVI released a document declaring that the Church "cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture.'"

And canon lawyer Cathy Caridi explains,

In taking this position, the Church does not seek to attack homosexual persons. It does, however, find it necessary these days to assert that the homosexual outlook is fundamentally incompatible with the ministerial priesthood. While the Church asserts that homosexuality is disordered and it cannot permit homosexuals to be ordained, it does continue to pray for their spiritual wellbeing — and as Catholics we ourselves should do the same.

A similar victims' remembrance ceremony took place in Dublin, Ireland in 2011 with Cdl. Sean O'Malley and Abp. Diarmuid Martin.

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