Pray for scandal-plagued church: archbishop

Halifax Archbishop Anthony Mancini says it's time to acknowledge that the Roman Catholic Church is falling apart, but urges parishioners not to lose faith.

Mancini delivered the message at a mass Wednesday night at St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Halifax.

With more than 100 priests sitting behind him, Mancini told the packed cathedral that there's no ignoring the crisis the church is facing.

"We have been hit by a violent wind of protest and criticism, and not without cause," he said.

Pope Benedict XVI has come under fire lately over allegations he covered up sex abuse within the church.

One allegation claims that in the early 1980s, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as the Pope was known then, knew of a decision to transfer a German priest suspected of sexual abuse back to his pastoral duties. He also allegedly halted the church trial of a U.S. priest accused of molesting around 200 deaf boys between 1950 and 1975.

The Vatican has denounced the accusations.

In Nova Scotia, a legal storm facing former Antigonish Bishop Raymond Lahey has the diocese teetering financially as it struggles to pay millions in compensation to victims of abuse.

Lahey, who brokered a $15-million settlement for people who claimed they were sexually abused by priests, has been charged with possession of child pornography and importation of child pornography. A trial is set for April 2011.

Mancini said the fallout from the scandals is likely to get worse. He warned the congregation that the consequences of the sins of the past are still unclear.

He asked churchgoers to pray for him and his priests as they try to rebuild trust.

"Do we want to deal with all the effects of this storm? Are we willing to hold on for the ride? Or do we want to abandon ship?" he asked.

Usher Wayne Berthier has high hopes with Mancini in charge.

"I really think that with Mancini's leadership we're going to see a whole new tone in the province," said Berthier.