In the final hours of Lent, the Bishop of Pittsburgh plans a remarkable and very public act of penance:

Pittsburgh Catholic Bishop David Zubik will lead a special “Service of Apology” on April 7 at 7 p.m. at Saint Paul Cathedral in Oakland.

“This is meant for anybody in the church who’s experienced any kind of hurt,” Zubik said. “Perhaps somebody was yelled at in a confessional, or there may have been an employment dispute, or somebody might have been a victim of abuse, or any other kind of misunderstanding that would have kept them away from the church.”

The prayer service is open to all and is for anyone who feels the church has wronged them in any way, no matter how minor.

WTAE Channel 4 Action News’ Marcie Cipriani reported that Zubik said no cameras will be allowed at the service, as they want anyone who attends to feel comfortable.

Cipriani also spoke to several parishioners about the service. One woman told Cipriani that she wouldn’t speak against the church’s idea, but an apology shouldn’t be necessary because as Catholics they should just forgive, the woman said.

The bishop wrote about his plans for the service in the diocesan newspaper.

A snip:

Were you ever hurt by a brusque or sarcastic comment from a leader in the Church? Have you stayed away from the Sacrament of Penance because some priest decades ago “yelled” at you in Confession? Was there some disagreement while employed with the Church that unjustly ended with you losing your job? Were you in any way, in any way, harmed by any representative of the Church? Did you feel picked on by a teacher in one of our religious education classes or in one of our schools?

Because representatives of the Church and I have been responsible for hurting others, I will be leading a special Service of Apology, a Service of Prayer, on Tuesday of Holy Week, April, 7, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Paul Cathedral in Oakland for anyone who has been hurt or harmed in any way by the Church. It is a moment for me as Shepherd of this local Church to say those three very important but oft forgotten words “I am sorry” and in so doing to seek forgiveness of anyone hurt by the Church.

The invitation is genuine. No reservations required. No tickets distributed. If you have been harmed by the Church in any way, I invite you to come. There will be nothing expected of you but your presence and your willingness to pray with me. No one will bother you. All that I ask is that you and I open our hearts to the grace of forgiveness.

In our lives, we experience two wonderful moments. The first is that great moment when we realize the forgiveness of God. It is that moment when we understand—truly understand—that God will forgive. It is in that moment of freedom from sin that we know how real are the words of absolution in the Sacrament of Penance.

The second wonderful moment is when we can forgive. It is that great moment of letting go, of forgiving those who have harmed us, forgiving the sins of the past so that we can live for the future.

Holy Week is the culmination of our Lenten pilgrimage. In our Lenten journey, we focus on prayer, fasting and good works. We do so in reparation and atonement for our sins in preparation for Easter. Throughout this Lenten season, I am blessed again to be leading the special Penance services for all of our deaneries. It is so inspiring for me to see the large numbers of faithful from every corner of this diocese coming together to seek God’s inexhaustible forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance celebrated together with so many of our brother priests.

As an extension of these deanery events, the Service of Apology will be a time for me to express my sorrow and apology for sins committed in the name of the Church. It will be a time for me to seek forgiveness—a time for all of us gathered in prayer—to exercise compassion and to seek reconciliation. When we forgive and are forgiven, then we are healed. And when we are healed, we are healthy, strong and able to truly celebrate Easter, able to live the mission that God has designed for each of us. Healed, we can even more so be the Church Alive!