Pope Francis shakes hands with people after celebrating mass at the Santa Maria parish in Setteville, on the outskirts of Rome, during a pastoral visit on Sunday. Francis has been credited by some with taking more decisive action on abuse cases than his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, did. Australian authorities, for instance, have been probing Cardinal George Pell, the top financial adviser to the pope, on multiple allegations of sexual abuse. Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has promised more transparency and accountability in sexual assault accusations linked to clerics, a subject that has plagued the church for years. In a small number of cases, Francis has intervened by directly contacting victims and instructing local bishops to take the charges seriously.

Source: Washington Post January 16, 2017 06:06 UTC