Pope Francis said on
Thursday that the Catholic Church must rid itself of the
"scourge" of child sexual abuse.
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.
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