VATICAN CITY
Buenos Aires Herald
Pope Francis has played down the notion that he is a “superman” who will bring sweeping reforms to the Roman Catholic church, stressing that its ban on contraception and opposition to gay marriage will remain in place.
The pope, in an interview with Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper published today, also said no institution had moved with more “transparency and responsibility” than the Church to protect children in the wake of its sexual abuse scandals. …
Asked about the sexual abuse scandal, in which many priests who molested children were moved from parish to parish instead of being dismissed, he said the Church had done much since the scandal first broke some 15 years ago and was being singled out for attack.
He defended the Church’s record, including that of his predecessor former Pope Benedict, whom Francis credited with having the courage to start reforms.
“On this path, the Church has done much, perhaps more than all others,” he said.
“The Catholic Church is perhaps the only public institution that has moved with transparency and responsibility. No-one has done more, and yet the Church is the only one that is being attacked,” he said.
He appeared to be referring to a report by a United Nations committee last month which accused the Vatican of systematically turning a blind eye to decades of sexual abuse of children by priests, and demanded it turn over known or suspected offenders to civil justice.
The Vatican said the report was distorted, unfair and ideologically slanted.
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