April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Clinton apology weighed
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard has expressed disappointment with President Clinton's televised address Monday night, while priests and counselors, who routinely work with people during times of crisis, confession and contrition, voiced mixed reactions to the speech.
In his remarks, the President admitted lying about an adulterous sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky, an affair which he had denied for seven months. In his speech, however, he did not use the words "lie" or "adultery."
To the Bishop, some priests and some counselors, those omissions were notable. To others, however, the President struck the right notes of apology (also see the editorial on page 8).
Here is a sampling of reaction to Mr. Clinton's speech, gathered by James Breig, editor, and staff writers Maureen McGuinness and Paul Quirini:
"I wanted him to say he had violated the trust of his office and acknowledge that he had lied to the American people, and was sorry for that behavior and apologized. I didn't hear any of those words: 'lied,' 'apologize' or 'asking for forgiveness.'"
Father Brucker wasn't offended by the President's change in tone at the conclusion of the speech when he criticized the investigation of him. "I think that's within all of us. We want to get beyond this. He said he was sorry -- in a way that was, perhaps, not to the degree that most of us would have liked -- but, nevertheless, that was the target that he was aiming at."
Father Forno understood that president took the middle ground in his address because he was advised that it would have weakened him as a leader to ask for forgiveness. "It's risky to show vulnerability, and that's a pity," he said but added he wasn't sure that being vulnerable would have been a negative thing for the president. He pointed out that there have been times when the Church has asked for forgiveness and that hasn't weakened the Church. "There has to be some kind of ownership and a consequence. This is our American president. If there are no consequences, what does that say to our children?"
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