ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE
Reuters
January 28, 2019
By Philip Pullella
Pope Francis warned on Sunday against excessive expectations for next month’s Vatican summit on the global sexual abuse crisis, saying it was human problem that would continue.
Francis has summoned the presidents of all of the world’s national bishops conferences to the Vatican Feb. 21-24.
The meeting offers a chance for him to respond to criticism from victims of abuse who say he has mishandled the crisis and not done enough to make bishops accountable for covering it up.
But the pope said the highly anticipated meeting would not end the problem.
“The preparatory work is going well but I permit myself to say that I have perceived that there is an inflated expectation,” he told reporters on a plane returning from Panama.
“We have to deflate the expectations … because the problem of abuse will continue because it is a human problem, and it is everywhere,” he said.
Francis said one of the aims of the summit was for the bishops to go back home with what he called “clear protocols” on how to prevent abuse and help victims.
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