Vatican tries to ease pressure on pope over sex abuse stance

Francis is facing one of the gravest crises of his papacy after he dismissed victims' complaints that Chilean Bishop Juan Barros covered up their abuse.

Times of Ahmad | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: CBS News (Excerpt)
By Associated Press | February 16, 2018

The Vatican said Thursday that Pope Francis meets frequently with victims of sexual abuse, seeking to defuse a mounting scandal over his unbridled support for a Chilean bishop accused by victims of witnessing and ignoring their abuse.

Spokesman Greg Burke said in a statement that Francis meets in private with victims individually or in groups several times a month to "listen to them and try to help them to heal their serious wounds."

In comments also released Thursday, Francis called clerical sex abuse a "humiliation" that exposes the church's "hypocrisy."

Francis is facing one of the gravest crises of his papacy after he dismissed victims' complaints that Chilean Bishop Juan Barros covered up their abuse. During a recent trip to Chile, Francis repeatedly called their accusations slander and said he was certain of Barros' innocence.
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