Pope says bishops covered up sex abuse

UNITED STATES
USA Today

Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY September 28, 2015

Pope Francis said there are bishops who covered up child sex abuse and who will be held accountable. His remarks were to reporters on his flight home after leaving the United States Sunday.

Moving to erase any doubt about the how serious he views crimes against children in the church, the pontiff said he wanted to make clear that his words of consolation toward bishops made earlier Sunday after he visited with five sexual assault victims not be taken out of context.

“I felt the need to express compassion because something really terrible happened,” Francis said of those earlier comments on child abuse, “and many of them (bishops) suffered who did not know of this.”

But those bishops who were aware and who did not report them will be held accountable, he said. “Those who have covered up these things are guilty,” the pope said, according to a Newsday report. “And some bishops covered this up, and it is a very ugly thing.”

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