Pope Francis has appealed to Catholics around the world to help root out the scourge of child sexual abuse. In an unprecedented letter, he begged victims for forgiveness and vowed there would be no more cover-ups.
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Pope Francis issued a letter addressed to all Catholics on Monday, condemning the sexual abuse of minors at the hands of priests.
"With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives," Francis wrote.
"We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them."
The Vatican said it was the first time Francis had written to the world's 1.2 billion Catholics about sexual abuse by members of the clergy. The three-page letter was released ahead of the pontiff's planned visit to Ireland this weekend.
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In his first direct response to the report, Francis said that while most cases it listed "belong to the past," it was clear the crimes were "long ignored, kept quiet or silenced."
In July, the pope accepted the resignation of prominent US cardinal Theodore McCarrick after he was accused of sexually abusing minors nearly five decades ago.
In the letter, Pope Francis appealed to his audience to band together "in uprooting this culture of death," and promised there would be no more cover-ups.
"No effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening, but also to prevent the possibility of their being covered up and perpetuated," he said.
Francis did not, however, refer to any specific measures that would be taken against bishops who turned a blind eye to such crimes.
5 years of Pope Francis
Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has tried to reform the Catholic Church by preaching and exemplifying humility. Some have applauded him for his efforts, while others have hurled criticism.
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'Buona sera!'
On March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio greeted the crowd in St. Peter's Square in the heart of Rome with a simple "good evening!" moments after the Conclave had selected him as the new pope. He thus began his term with a down-to-earth tone that has marked his stewardship of the Catholic Church ever since.
Image: Reuters
Reform committee 'K9'
The new pontiff immediately tackled topics that the Catholic Church had been discussing before his election. He set up a nine-person cardinal conference to reform the church's organization and direction. The guiding principle: the Roman Catholic Church is not an end in itself. Instead, it should seek to spread the teachings of the Bible and bring the Vatican and its followers closer together.
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Supporting the weak
The deaths of migrants crossing from Africa to Europe are "a thorn in the heart," said Pope Francis on his first bridge building trip to Lampedusa. At the time of his visit in the summer of 2013, thousands of migrants were on the Italian island hoping to receive legal permits to continue their journey onto the European mainland.
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Symbol of humility
It aligned perfectly with his own message of the "poor church:" the picture of Pope Francis with the 30-year-old Renault 4 that he had received as a gift from a pastor in Verona. Francis reportedly wanted to drive the car, but was not allowed to due to security concerns. The symbol of modesty has endured.
Image: Reuters
Francis the celebrity
Francis' worldly style quickly made him an icon for progressive Catholics and other Christians. Even non-Christians applauded the pope and rubbed their eyes in amazement at the contrast between Francis and his conservative and academic predecessor, Pope Benedict. After 10 months in office, Francis became the first pope to make the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine.
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Controversial bridge builder
Francis takes his task as bridge builder very seriously. He has acted as a mediator between warring parties in civil conflicts in central Africa and Colombia and also helped bring an end to frozen relations between the US and Cuba. With an eye toward the Mexican-US border, he has also urged US President Donald Trump to build bridges rather than walls.
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Believers and religions from all corners of the earth
Francis has also tried to build bridges between confessions and religions. He prayed at the wailing wall in Jerusalem and met the Grand Mufti Mohammad Hussein. In Egypt, he visited the head of the Coptic Church, Tawadros II, and Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb. In Myanmar, he spoke to Buddhist monks and in Havanna, he met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kyrill I (pictured).
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People person
Francis spontaneously wed a couple on an airplane during a trip to Chile in January 2018. The two crew members were traveling with the pope on a flight from the capital Santiago to the northern city of Iquique. They had apparently told Francis of their plans to marry.
Image: Reuters/Osservatore Romano
Criticism from within the church
Francis' reform course has been too radical for some clerics. This poster in Rome accused Francis of showing no mercy within the church. He reportedly also has little time for dissent within the Vatican. Some church members think his course is too secular, his humility too bold, its display too media-orientated. The essence of religiosity – spirituality – some fear, could get lost in it all.
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Sexual abuse scandal in the Church
But the major challenge now faced by Francis is the problem of sexual abuse, including of minors, by church representatives. In January, the pontiff was heavily criticized for supporting Chilean Bishop Juan Barros (pictured right), accused of an abuse cover-up. On a recent trip to Ireland, the pope begged for forgiveness amid an abuse scandal there. But critics say much more is needed.
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Victims groups voiced their disappointment over the letter, saying the pope needed to do more to hold senior clergy members accountable.
"That culture was overseen by #Vatican & codified into its laws," tweeted Colm O'Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International in Ireland. "He needs to name & own that."
"More actions, less words," said Anne Barrett-Doyle, co-director of the US-based abuse monitor BishopAccountability.org.
"He needs an effective discipline process for bishops and religious superiors who are known to have enabled abuse."
