Pope Francis begs forgiveness in meeting with abuse victims

[steve2470]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/pope-francis-begs-forgiveness-in-meeting-with-abuse-victims/story-e6frg6so-1226981270705?nk=b79291a206cd04921c44405716a12d30

POPE Francis has begged forgiveness in his first meeting with Catholics sexually abused by members of the clergy and went further than any of his predecessors by vowing to hold bishops accountable for their handling of paedophile priests.

Abuse victims and their advocates have long demanded that higher-ups be made to answer for the decades-long cover-ups of rape and molestation of youngsters in a scandal that has rocked the church and dismayed its worldwide flock of 1.2 billion.

The pope celebrated a private Mass with six victims — two each from Ireland, Britain and Germany — at his Vatican residence, and spent the rest of the morning listening to their accounts, one on one.

“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,” Francis said.

[PeaceNikki]

1. That's nice. Keep reading, though.

But in speaking of accountability, he made no mention of what countless victims and their families around the globe have waited years to hear: whether bishops and other prelates who shuffled child-molesting priests from parish to parish or didn’t inform police and prosecutors would be fired or demoted.

...

“We are glad the Pope promises to ‘hold accountable’ Catholic officials who conceal abuse,” SNAP Director David Clohessy said in statement. “But he hasn’t done it yet, not in Rome, nor in Buenos Aires. Saying and doing are different things. The first is easy, the second is hard.”

...

Francis has also been criticised for how he handled abuse cases when archbishop of Buenos Aires, specifically for not meeting with victims and for denying he had handled the case of an abusive priest.

It'll be news when actual changes are made.

[arcane1]

2. "Fired or demoted" is a vacation compared to "turned over to law enforcement for trial."

[SummerSnow]

3. any prison time for the rapist?

[TheBlackAdder]

4. Hey, if it works... it doesn't cost them anything. nt