Catholic priests from across the region will be meeting in East Aurora Tuesday to discuss the clergy sex abuse crisis.
The Presbyteral Council, which represents priests in the Buffalo Diocese, is holding a Study Day at Christ The King Seminary. Council chair Monsignor David LiPuma says about 100 priests are expected to attend and will be discussing the effects of the clergy abuse crisis.
"Really first and foremost for us to pray for victims of abuse to make sure that we do all that we can as brother priests to help those who've been abused to pray for them to support them and to make sure that this never really happens again," LiPuma said.
One of the goals, he says, is to help priests move forward in transparency and hope and to bring healing to the Diocese.
"Because everybody in the Diocese in one way or another has been affected by this. We know that many of our faithful have been challenged in terms of their faith about all of this. So we want to do everything we can to show them that we are doing our very best," LiPuma said.
Given concerns over being falsely accused, LiPuma says priests will learn about their canonical rights in the church and their civil rights. He says there will also be an open forum with the bishop where priests can raise their concerns about the crisis.
"The bishop can also share with us any of his concerns and how we can help him to move forward in the whole healing process," LiPuma said.
The day will conclude with evening prayers and dinner for the priests. LiPuma says the Council is not planning to release an official statement or action plan afterwards.
