UNITED STATES
SFGate
Pope Francis has washed the feet of Rome’s homeless and spoken tolerantly about gays, creating a humble, fresh image for the leader of a tradition-bound institution. But he’s moved cautiously in dealing with a decade-old sex-abuse scandal, one of the Vatican’s most pressing problems.
The pope has defrocked several church insiders and formed a commission to look into the issue and suggest reforms. But until last week he hadn’t met with victims, as the previous leader, Pope Benedict XVI, had, or spoken in the heartfelt terms he often uses.
This careful distance may be fading. Last week, Francis met with six survivors – two each from Germany, Ireland and Britain – in one-on-one sessions. He followed that with remarks that signaled a sharper direction in both his emotional thinking and church directives.
“I beg for your forgiveness,” he said in remarks at a Mass he shared with the six. He went a step further: The church was to blame “for the sin of omission on the part of church leaders who didn’t respond adequately to reports of abuse.”
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.