VATICAN CITY
Seattle PI
[with video]
April 11, 2014 | By Joel Connelly
Pope Francis, in unscripted remarks Friday, promised that the Vatican will more more directly confront the “evil” of clergy sex abuse of children.
“I feel compelled to personally take on all the evil that some priests — quite a few in number, though not compared to the total number — and to ask forgiveness for the damage done by sexually abusing clergy,” the pontiff said in a meeting with leaders of the International Catholic Child Bureau, a French Catholic group.
“”The church is aware of this damage,” he added. ”It is personal and moral damage, but carried out by men of the church. And we do not want to take one step backward in dealing with this problem and the sanctions that must be imposed. On the contrary, I have to be very firm. Because you cannot take chances with children.”
The pope pledged late last year that a commission will work out uniform policies for Catholic dioceses around the world in dealing with the abuse crisis.
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