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The annual service for Hope & Healing at St George's Cathedral

Archbishop John Wilson led the annual service of Hope & Healing at St George’s Cathedral for those harmed by abuse and for those supporting the people who have been harmed.

The service is an opportunity to show solidarity for those who have been harmed by abuse and to pray for them and their families.

At the service, Archbishop John said:

“I would like to welcome all of you this evening and thank everyone for coming to the service. Whoever you are, for whatever reason you have come here, I want to welcome you and to thank you…

“As the Catholic Church, we must become evermore a people of healing, honest about our failures, committed to change and faithful in walking with those who suffer. May this place be a place where hope is kindled, where wounds are honoured and where God’s healing can begin. We gather in solidarity…

“Gathering this evening is unlikely to make everything better, but it is a small beginning. And in the darkness, even the tiniest light shines brightly. We know and we share the shame for the things that have happened in the Church, that should never have happened… For those wrongs by the Church, for those mistakes by the Church, I want to say that I am truly sorry. Not just in a general sense, but if you have personally been hurt by the Church, then I apologise to you, to each of you…

“Safeguarding is not simply about procedures, important as procedures are; it’s about the kind of Church we want to be. Where people are safe among us, where people are heard, where concerns are taken seriously, where those who have suffered are treated with compassion and respect. This work will never end, and we will never be complacent.”

Mary-Jane Crowley, Head of Safeguarding for the Archdiocese of Southwark, said:

“Each year the Archdiocese of Southwark holds a service for those who have been harmed by abuse, to display our genuine commitment to supporting survivors and acknowledge the pain and impact of abuse.

“The service asks nothing of those who come. There is no requirement to speak, to forgive, or to have reached any particular point in their own journey. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate as much as is comfortable for them: to light a candle, pray, reflect or just be present.

"The service is the Archdiocese's public statement that our clergy, Parish Safeguarding Representatives (PSRs), parishioners and staff stand together in solidarity with those harmed by abuse, and are committed to building safe environments in our parishes and communities. It states, annually, that in Southwark you will find a Church where it is safe to speak and where people are believed."

For more information on the Southwark Safeguarding Team, including how to access support or to report a concern, please visit rcaos.org.uk/safeguarding.

Please contact the Safeguarding Office on safeguardingoffice@rcaos.org.uk if you would like to speak to someone. If you have been harmed by abuse and would like to participate in the survivor’s reference panel, please also contact the Safeguarding Office.

If you would like to speak to someone in confidence, Safe Spaces offers independent support to anyone harmed through their relationship with the Church: 0300 303 1056.

Please join us in praying for those harmed by abuse and for those who support people harmed by abuse.