VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is insisting that bishops attending his high-stakes sex abuse prevention summit will learn the laws to use against predators, how to care for victims and will make sure that no cleric abuse cases are covered up again. The Vatican on Wednesday provided details about the...
Pope Accepts Resignation of LA Bishop Accused of Misconduct
LOS ANGELES — Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a Los Angeles auxiliary bishop, Monsignor Alexander Salazar, following an allegation of misconduct with a minor in the 1990s, officials said Wednesday. The Vatican announced the resignation in a one-line statement. It was the latest in a string of cases...
Vatican Committee: Church Credibility at Risk Over Sex Abuse
VATICAN CITY — Organizers of an upcoming Vatican summit on sex abuse prevention are warning that the credibility of the Catholic Church is in jeopardy over the abuse scandal and are urging participants to meet with victims personally before coming to Rome. In a letter sent Tuesday to the presidents...
Pope: Priestly Abuse Scandals Driving Catholic Faithful Away
TALLINN, Estonia — Pope Francis acknowledged Tuesday that priestly sex abuse scandals are outraging the Catholic faithful and driving them away, and said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations. Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final...
Pope on Sex Abuse: 'We Showed No Care for the Little Ones'
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis issued a letter to Catholics around the world Monday condemning the crime of priestly sexual abuse and its cover-up. He demanded accountability but offered no indication of how he plans to sanction complicit bishops or end the Vatican's long-standing culture of secrecy. Francis begged forgiveness...
US Nuns Demand Action to End 'Culture of Silence' on Abuse
VATICAN CITY — The largest association of Roman Catholic nuns in the United States urged its members Monday to report any sexual abuse of religious sisters by clergy and demanded that church authorities "take action to end a culture of silence, hold abusers accountable and provide support to those abused."...
What Will Pope Do About Revelations of Sex Abuse by Cardinal?
VATICAN CITY — Revelations that one of the most respected U.S. cardinals repeatedly sexually abused both boys and adult seminarians have raised questions about who in the Catholic Church hierarchy knew — and what Pope Francis is going to do about it. If the accusations against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick bear...