Abuse in the Church: Pope Leo XIV demands clear stance from bishops

Pope Leo XIV has called on newly appointed bishops of the Catholic Church to directly address the problems of sexual abuse by clergy and not to cover up allegations.

He emphasized that these cases should not be “shelved,” but must be dealt with fairly—with consideration for both the victims and the accused.

The meeting with around 200 bishops took place behind closed doors on Thursday, with the Vatican subsequently publishing a summary of his message.

Leo, who ascended to the Chair of St. Peter in May after the death of Pope Francis, reiterated that clergy must act decisively and steadfastly on issues of abuse.

Francis, who led the Church for twelve years, had made the issue a priority, but the results remained mixed.

At the same time, Leo indicated that he wanted to continue some of his predecessor's priorities: he called for an open and welcoming Church and urged bishops to seek new answers to the questions of today's world – instead of relying on doctrines from long-gone seminary days.

(reuters, red)