Pope John Paul II's statement on sex abuse Tuesday won praise from U.S. Roman Catholics for his direct acknowledgment of victims' suffering and the need for a more aggressive response by church leaders.
"This is really a very honest statement for an institution that is marked by secrecy," said Christopher Bellitto, a church historian and academic editor of The Paulist Press.
However, advocates for those molested by priests were less encouraged. They welcomed the pope's words, but said they would withhold praise until church leaders took some concrete actions.
"The real test of whether or not there will be serious reform will come long after the media spotlight and legal pressure abates," said David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
In an address on the opening day of the rare Rome summit with U.S. cardinals, the pope told the prelates that there was no place in the priesthood "for those who would harm the young." The pontiff also called sex abuse by priests in the United States a sin and a crime, and reached out to those who were harmed by clergy, expressing his "profound sense of solidarity and concern."
William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, an anti-defamation group based in New York, has been critical of how U.S. church leaders have responded to the crisis. But he applauded the pope Tuesday for labeling sex abuse a "crime" and for noting how victims have suffered.
"The fundamental problem is a lack of discipline," Donohue said. "Pope John Paul II understands what needs to be done."
Russell Shaw, a former spokesman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Knights of Columbus, said the pope clearly realizes the depth of the crisis consuming the U.S. church.
"I think he's trying to reassure Americans — both Catholic and non-Catholic — that he understands perfectly well that this is more than a moral problem for the church to handle in counseling or the confessional," Shaw said. "The pope is making a personal expression of sorrow and regret — and the church's expression of sorrow and regret — about as strongly as he can."
Shaw said the pope also was indicating his openness to a tougher approach to errant priests. U.S. bishops for years have been asking the Vatican to change church law and make it easier to oust abusive clergy.
Svea Fraser, a member of Voice of the Faithful, a Massachusetts-based Catholic lay advocacy group established after the crisis exploded in Boston, saw the pope's statement as a first step toward rebuilding trust in the church.
"For many of us, it has not shaken our faith in God or our religion, it has shaken our faith in some of our leaders, and we look to the Holy Father for guidance and leadership right now," Fraser said.