August 23 | 
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Abbot speaks at Fort Augustus on abuse allegations
Fr Richard Yeo, Abbot President of the English order at the centre of recent abuse allegations, spoke at Fort Augustus parish church on Sunday of abuse as ‘a great evil’ and a terrible ‘shame.’
“You know why I am here,” the abbot said in his Sunday homily.
“I am the Abbot President of the English Benedictine Congregation, and I am as sad and shocked as you to hear about allegations against monks of Fort Augustus.
The abbot went on to say that ‘abuse is a great evil, and its effects on those who are abused are profound and long-lasting’ but sometimes we all ‘forget that the evil affects many people, and its reverberations are widespread.’
“Abuse also affects a victim’s family. It affects the community in which he lives,” he added.
The abbot said he found it challenging, as stood before the congregation ‘to say sorry on behalf of the monks of Fort Augustus for what some of their brothers are said to have done; and for the way in which they have let you down.’
“But as the monastery has closed, there is no one else to say [sorry] if I don’t,” he admitted.
In his closing remarks, he wanted to comfort the monks and lay Catholics who had worked in good faith at the Fort Augusts Abbey School, and its prep school, Carlekemp, in East Lothian.
—This story ran in full in the August 23 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes
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