VATICAN CITY
National Catholic Reporter

Joshua J. McElwee | Dec. 2, 2013 NCR Today

VATICAN CITY Pope Francis for the first time on Monday publicly discussed the issue of clergy sex abuse, telling Catholic bishops from the Netherlands he wished to express sympathy for victims in their country.

The pope mentioned the abuse scandal, which has continued to rock the Catholic church globally, towards the end of his remarks to the bishops. 13 Dutch prelates were part of the meeting, which comes as they are making their ad limina visit to Rome.

“I promise compassion and prayer for every victim of sexual abuse and their families,” the pope told the prelates, speaking in French.

“I ask you to continue supporting them on their painful path to healing, undertaken with courage,” he said, according to the Vatican’s text of his remarks.

The sex abuse scandal has particularly impacted the Dutch…