Mount Cashel decision will have 'significant implications,' archbishop tells parishioners
'There will be changes and sacrifices required of all of us,' Archbishop Peter Hundt says in letter
The Archdiocese of St. John's says it is working with financial advisors to address the best way forward for the organization, following a Supreme Court of Canada decision that found the archdiocese liable for sexual and physical abuse at Mount Cashel Orphanage in the 1950s.
In a letter read to parishioners over the weekend, Archbishop Peter Hundt said the claims will "have significant implications" for the parishes and parishioners of the archdiocese.
"We must now move to address these claims to the best of our ability, and in justice to the victims," reads the letter, also posted on the archdiocese's website.
In January, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear an appeal from the Catholic Church, meaning the Archdiocese of St. John's is liable for the abuse.
The decision brought to an end a painstaking process for victims who were abused at the orphanage when they were children.
This particular case has been snaking its way through the courts for 21 years, and featured four victims who served as test cases for about 60 men in total.
"There will be changes and sacrifices required of all of us as we move through this process. I cannot promise that the road ahead will be an easy one, but certainly the practice and celebration of our Catholic faith will continue," Hundt said in the letter.
"I hope that this resolution process will bring with it healing for the victims, their loved ones, and the entire community of faith, and closure to a dark chapter in the history of our archdiocese."
In a statement, the Archdiocese of St. John's said it will not be making any further public comments.
