The annual Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse was marked at St Chad’s Cathedral on Tuesday 20 May.

The daily lunchtime Mass was celebrated by Bishop Timothy Menezes. There was also a display of items associated with the work of Safeguarding, including the Angels Creative Project, and a member of the Safeguarding Team was available in the cathedral all day if anyone wanted to talk.

The Day of Prayer gives the Church in England and Wales an opportunity to reflect on the impact of abuse on individuals, their families and friends, and the communities of which they are part.

The focus for 2025 was on the theme of ‘The Empty Chair’ which Bishop Timothy discussed in his Homily:

This is to recognise the many people who – as a result of abuse in the Church – no longer feel able to come to Church.  

We recognise that this affects survivors of abuse themselves, members of their families and their friends, and Catholics who feel ashamed of the Church they once loved, and for whom faith in God or faith in the Church has been destroyed.

In praying for survivors of abuse, we must acknowledge those who are now with God; those who were victims of abuse and who lived with the trauma of it throughout their lives and those who suffered to the extent that they took their own lives as a direct result of abuse. 

The Empty Chair might be one that we long to fill again by a process of welcoming people back, if they feel able. We always accept that this must be at the time of choosing of the survivor of abuse, or those affected.
And we recognise too that faith in God can be for some people a strong instinct, even when faith in the institutional Church is most challenged.

As members of the Church today, it is sometimes difficult to know how to take responsibility for the actions of those who perpetrated abuse. But what is beyond question is that every member of the Church today has a responsibility for a culture of safeguarding, and the knowledge that any lapse in vigilance or giving the benefit of the doubt to behaviour that causes concern is the beginning of problems for the future.

I remember a talk that was given to the priests of our Archdiocese by an Irish Bishop some years ago. He said that while we know that, sadly, abuse, takes place in the family home and in every setting in society, where the Church is concerned, one instance of abuse is one too many, and children and vulnerable adults come to Church and deserve to receive the same understanding, compassion and security that they would find in Christ himself.

The Empty Chair is a sign of the pain of separation that some people feel from the practice of their faith.

The Empty Chair is a reminder to us that those things we hold most dear in our life of faith have become the most toxic of symbols for those were robbed of their innocence and their dignity under the guise of religious practice and ritual.

The Empty Chair might never be occupied again for those who are not convinced that the Church has learnt that Safeguarding is really taken seriously by the Church today.

Bishop Timothy also took the opportunity to reaffirm the Archdiocese’s commitment to Safeguarding:

All clergy are required to undertake, ongoing Safeguarding Training: face to face and online training.

Every parish has a Parish Safeguarding Representative who is in regular contact with our Diocesan Safeguarding Team, some of whom are here today, and we thank them for their commitment to supporting the clergy, Religious and Lay Faithful of the Archdiocese of Birmingham in making Safeguarding central to the life of the Church.

Read Homily in full 

Earlier in the day Bishop Timothy, together with Claire Reay, Head of Safeguarding, were interviewed regarding the Day of Prayer by Radio Maria on its programme ‘Culture Tuesday’. You can listen to the interview here:

Radio Maria interview

Safeguarding in the Archdiocese

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