Pope Francis blasts 'scandal' of clergy sex abuse in Portugal and meets with survivors via KSLcom
LISBON, Portugal — Pope Francis met with survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Portugal on Wednesday and blasted members of the country's Catholic hierarchy for their response to the long-ignored scandal, which he said had marred the Catholic Church and helped drive the faithful away.he Portuguese church on the first day of a five-day visit to Lisbon for the Catholic Church's World Youth Day festival.
The meeting with victims took place after Francis presided over a vigil service for Portuguese clergy and nuns at the capital's iconic Jeronimos Monastery, where in February hundreds of people gathered for victims of sex abuse after the experts' report was released. Although critics have chided church officials for their sluggish response, the bishops' conference later said the pope's meeting with abuse survivors was evidence of "the path of reconciliation that the Portuguese church has been following in this area."
In its place, victims' advocates launched a campaign called "This is our memorial." Hours before the pope arrived, they put up a billboard in central Lisbon reading "4,800+ Children Abused by the Catholic Church in Portugal." They said it was paid for through a crowdfunding campaign that was so successful the organizers can put up more billboards around the city, though none was located along planned routes for his visit.
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