Pope Francis lambasts Catholic bishops who helped cover up child abuse
Pontiff makes strongest condemnation yet of paedophile priests and senior clergy who obfuscated rather than punished
Pope Francis waves to crowds in St Peter's Square. He met six abuse victims after he delivered his strongest condmenation yet of child abuse scandals that have rocked the church. (Photograph: Claudio Peri/EPA)
Lizzy Davies in Rome
The Guardian, Monday 7 July 2014 09.29 EDT
Leaders of the Roman Catholic church who failed to "respond adequately" to reports of child sex abuse by paedophile priests caused "even greater suffering" to their victims and will in future be held accountable, Pope Francis has said, in a clear rebuke to bishops who helped cover up the scandal and shield abusers.
In his strongest condemnation yet of the way in which the church handled its abuse crisis, Francis asked victims for forgiveness not only on account of those who had perpetrated the abuse but also those senior figures whose "sins of omission" had exacerbated the problem.
"Before God and his people, I express my sorrow for the sins and grave crimes of clerical sexual abuse committed against you. And I humbly ask forgiveness," he said. The sexual abuse of minors by priests and other men of the cloth required the church to "make reparation".
The pontiff was delivering the powerful homily at a morning mass in the Vatican before a group of six abuse victims, including two from the United Kingdom. Sixteen months into his papacy, it was his first such encounter.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/07/pope-francis-catholic-bishops-child-paedophile-abuse-priest-condemn
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