Pope censures 'guilty' Church officials over child abuse
Pope Francis says Church officials who covered up sexual abuse of children by priests are "guilty" of wrongdoing.
He said on Monday that abuse by priests was "nearly a sacrilege" and "those who have hidden (such acts) are guilty -- including some bishops."
The 78-year-old pontiff admitted to the church officials' wrongdoings upon his return to the Vatican from the United States.
"Sexual abuse is everywhere," the pontiff told reporters on his flight back to Rome. "But when a priest carries out abuse, it's very serious because his calling is to help a child grow... towards the love of God," he said
On his last day in the US on Sunday, Francis met with five survivors of sexual abuse. He also issued a warning to bishops that they would be held accountable should they fail to protect their flocks.
Approximately 6,900 US Roman Catholic priests were accused of sexual abuse with at least 16,900 young victims between 1950 and 2011, according to data from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The Church child abuse scandal is said to have forced Pope Francis’ predecessor, Pope Benedict XVl, to resign the papacy in February 2013, becoming the first pope to resign in six centuries.
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