Community Corner

VIDEO: Pope's Benedict's Legacy and Role in Resolving the Sex Abuse Scandal in the Catholic Church

Father Jerome Cudden of St. Dominic's Church offers his views.

Moments after Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would be stepping down because he no longer has the physical and mental strength to do his job, a bolt of lightning struck St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, as if setting the stage for the international reaction that was to follow.

The pope’s unexpected announcement sent shockwaves in the Catholic Church and beyond, including in Eagle Rock. Like millions of people, Father Jerome Cudden, the associate pastor of St. Dominic’s Church, awoke to the news with a mixture of surprise and disbelief, not least because Benedict is the first head of the Roman Catholic Church in 700 years to resign.

In this video, Fr. Cudden offers his views about the pope’s legacy, the pontiff's role in helping resolve the sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church, and which part of the world the next pope might come from.

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