Francis says families must know their children are safe. Vatican City, February 5 - Pope Francis said on
Thursday that the Catholic Church must rid itself of the
"scourge" of child sexual abuse - and he asked for "help" in
making sure predator priests were a thing of the past.
Families must know that their children are safe within the
Church, the pope said in a letter sent ahead of the first
meeting of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of
Minors.
Any "desire to avoid scandal" must be made a lower priority
to child protection, he said in his letter to senior Church
officials.
"Families need to know that the Church is making every
effort to protect their children," the pope wrote.
"They should also know that they have every right to turn
to the Church with full confidence, for it is a safe and secure
home.
"Consequently, priority must not be given to any other kind
of concern, whatever its nature, such as the desire to avoid
scandal, since there is absolutely no place in ministry for
those who abuse minors," his letter said.
Francis announced the commission in late 2013 and last
March began to set it up.
Francis has repeatedly spoken up about sex abuse by clergy.
At the end of last year he said the aftermath of child
abuse is enough to make one "cry out loud".
"The traces that child abuse leaves behind in its victims
are enough to make one cry out loud," Francis wrote to fashion
designer Roberto Piazza, a fellow Argentine who is engaged in
the fight against pedophilia.