Pope Francis spoke out against sexual abuse by Catholic clergy on Monday and said he plans to meet with victims in early June.
In a wide-ranging talk
with reporters, he also discussed celibacy in the clergy, saying it's
not dogma so "the door is always open."
The Pope fielded
questions on these subjects during an informal chat with reporters.
He
simply walked to the back of the papal airplane, sat down with a group
of journalists and took questions for about 45 minutes, answering in
Italian.
When the Vatican
spokesman suggested he stop after half an hour to rest, the Pope
indicated he was happy to continue. Such informality has become a
hallmark of Pope Francis.
Stressing that sex abuse
constitutes a horrific crime, he told reporters that three bishops are
under investigation. One has already been found guilty and a penalty is
being considered, he said.
It was not clear whether
the bishops are under investigation for alleged abuse, or for purported
involvement in some sort of cover-up. None of those clerics were named.
A priest who abuses a
child betrays the body of the Lord, the Pope said, according to pool
reports. He called for zero tolerance.
Among the expected invitees to the meeting are abuse victims from
Germany, England and Ireland, and Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the
archbishop
of Boston.
Source: CNN...More...
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