Pope meets sex abuse victims
Pope Francis speaks to international bishops at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, September 27, 2015 in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. Pope Francis met with victims of church sex abuse, saying “God weeps” for their suffering and promising to hold all those responsible to account. PHOTO | DREW ANGERER | AFP
What you need to know:
- The pope met the three women and two men, with their relatives and educators, for 30 minutes at the San Carlo Borromeo seminary on the final day of his visit to the United States, the Vatican said in a statement.
- Without the audience, victims of the sex abuse scandal would have been extremely disappointed. The pope’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, met victims of the sex abuse scandal in Boston in 2008.
- On one street corner, an artist who goes by the name Mark G. exhibited large portraits of the pope that passers-by were supposed to sign.
PHILADELPHIA
Pope Francis met with victims of church sex abuse Sunday, saying “God weeps” for their suffering and promising to hold all those responsible to account.
The pope met the three women and two men, with their relatives and educators, for 30 minutes at the San Carlo Borromeo seminary on the final day of his visit to the United States, the Vatican said in a statement.
“God weeps,” the pope told a gathering of bishops afterwards. “The sexual abuse of children cannot be maintained secret.
“I commit to a careful oversight to insure that youth are protected and all responsible will be held accountable.”
“Those who have survived the abuse have become true heralds of mercy, probably we owe each of them our gratitude for their great value as they have had to suffer terrible abuse,” he added.
RESPECTING IMMIGRANTS
Philadelphia is one of the cities where the scandal was most serious in the 1980s.
One rare criticism of the pope during his trip to Washington, New York and Philadelphia was that he did not have such a meeting on his public agenda.
Without the audience, victims of the sex abuse scandal would have been extremely disappointed. The pope’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, met victims of the sex abuse scandal in Boston in 2008.
Pope Francis was to wrap up his six-day tour of the United States on Sunday, having electrified Americans with a message of respecting immigrants, protecting the environment and sharing wealth.
WHAT AN ANGEL
The 78-year-old head of the Catholic Church was to lead a giant, open-air mass, which up to 1.5 million people were expected to attend in downtown Philadelphia at the end of the World Meeting of Families.
From early Sunday, people headed for the site of the mass to grab a spot, along a broad thoroughfare called the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
On one street corner, an artist who goes by the name Mark G. exhibited large portraits of the pope that passers-by were supposed to sign.
“He is such an angel. He makes you feel everything will be fine,” said Bernadette Silverthorn, 75, who signed one of the pictures.
