In the cathedral in Pilsen, around 200 believers from the Pilsen diocese gathered for a penitent prayer vigil on Palm Sunday, celebrated as part of the Jubilee Year, connecting to the naming of various ailments and pains in the Final Document of the first stage of the diocesan synod.
After a very sensitive, humble, yet extremely precise and concrete reflection by Bishop Tomáš on the Gospel about the Pharisee and the tax collector, pairs of representatives of the believers brought boulders to Christ's cross, symbolizing the ten areas named in the final document as areas of pain, weakness, neglect, or sins that our diocese bears as the pain of its present and the burden of its past.
We prayed, for instance, for forgiveness for the sins of lukewarmness on the path of faith (which for those of us who have been walking with the Lord for a longer time was a valuable pause and a necessary moment of reflection). Other confessions included the refusal to take responsibility for others, disrupted relationships among parishioners, in the church, but also beyond it, the exclusion of young people and those on the margins of society, whom we still struggle to fully accept. Furthermore, there was a refusal to embrace the gifts and specifics of others, insensitivity to the needs of individual parishes, and a lack of transparency and sensitivity in decision-making in pastoral and economic matters.
At the end, Bishop Tomáš added a citation from the worldwide Synod on synodality, where the "various and tragic forms of the abuse crisis" were mentioned, which brought "unspeakable and long-lasting suffering to the victims of these attacks, their loved ones, and entire communities" (Final Document SoS, art. 55).
In this context, Bishop Tomáš expressed the following confession:
| Good and merciful Father, I stand before Your face as one of those to whom You have entrusted the pastoral ministry in our country in the name of Your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. I confess with great shame and pain that we have in many cases painfully failed in this ministry and have not addressed, diminished, or even concealed the immensely injurious grave failures of both clergy and laity. We have not adequately protected the weak and defenseless, and therefore a heavy guilt for the suffering of all victims of sexual, spiritual, or power abuse in our Church clings to us. |
And continued with a prayer:
| Jesus Christ, Savior of sinners, look upon us, shepherds of Your Church, forgive us our transgressions, and have mercy on us. Give us the courage to be honest and sensitive in our service to all sisters and brothers, especially to all defenseless and vulnerable ones. Show us the paths to rectification and strengthen our determination to walk them always and in every circumstance. Please take care, we implore You, with Your gentle love for all those whom we have not been able to be good shepherds. |
The prayer vigil concluded with a plea for forgiveness directed at the people throughout the diocese, spoken by Bishop Tomáš on behalf of all priests, deacons, and pastoral collaborators of the Pilsen diocese. This plea was followed by a greeting of peace.
After the conclusion of the prayer vigil, six priests were available for the sacrament of reconciliation, and the space of the cathedral remained a place for meeting, sharing, intertwining, and mutuality for a long time. Despite the difficult topic, the mood was generally very positive and joyful, supported mainly by the openness and willingness to acknowledge one's share in what is wrong and the sincere effort to rectify it.
Similar penitent vigils have been celebrated during Lent or will still be celebrated at other locations in the Pilsen diocese (the background material is available HERE).
We recommend:
- Penitent service in the cathedral (bip.cz) PHOTO GALLERY
- Penitent prayer vigil: Pilgrims of hope (background texts)
- Final Document of the Synod on Synodality: For a synodal Church
- Final Document of the first stage of the diocesan synod "Master, where do you live?"
