VATICAN CITY
PBS – Frontline
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July 7, 2014 by Priyanka Boghani
Pope Francis asked for forgiveness from six victims of clerical sexual abuse on Monday, during the first such meeting since he became pontiff.
“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,” the pope said during Mass with the victims.
For decades, the Roman Catholic Church has been dogged by clergy sex abuse scandals, with critics accusing church officials of sheltering accused priests instead of referring them to civil authorities. In May, a UN report found that church officials still resist reporting these crimes and largely handle them internally, choosing to defrock priests or consign them to a life of prayer rather than handing them over to civil authorities.
Since becoming pontiff, Francis has taken some steps toward addressing clerical sexual abuse, including redefining sexual violence against children as a crime, and establishing an advisory board called the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors tasked with developing protocols for the church in cases of sexual abuse.
The goal is to improve accountability for church officials who fail to report abuse allegations, said Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley, a member of the advisory board, which consists of three clergy and five laypeople.
When Pope Francis met the victims on Monday, he apologized on behalf of those officials. “I beg your forgiveness, too, for the sins of omission on the part of church leaders who did not respond adequately to reports of abuse made by family members, as well as by abuse victims themselves,” he said.
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