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21/06/2014 GMT

Trust and the Church

BBC World Service - Heart and Soul, Trust and the Church, Trust and the Church

Can the Catholic Church rebuild trust after the Boston sex abuse crisis?

Can the Catholic Church rebuild trust after the Boston sex abuse crisis? We follow the faith journeys of some Boston Catholics.

Pope Francis has reinvigorated the Catholic Church. His most recent apology for the "moral damage carried out by men of the Church" was considered his strongest statement on the worst crisis to hit the Church in centuries. We return to the epicentre of that crisis - the American city of Boston. In a profile of the city, we hear the personal faith journeys of Catholics whose faith was shaken by the deep betrayals that emerged from the sexual abuse crisis. Parish priests provide revelations on how they consoled their parishioners and tried to maintain their congregations. Survivors of abuse share their stories, including the first victim to meet Pope Benedict XVI. Everyday and extraordinary parishioners describe their agonising decisions to leave their spiritual home or stand by the Church. 
 
In an intimate portrait of the shell-shocked city, we ask whether the Church can rebuild the all-important element of trust and bring Catholics back.

(Photo: The Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. Copyright: Getty Images)

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