ROME—Pope Francis reaffirmed his support for a Chilean bishop accused of covering up clerical sex abuse and repeated his dismissal of the accusations as slander, while expressing regret for offending victims with his choice of words. The pope made his remarks Sunday night to reporters accompanying him on a flight to Rome, following a weeklong visit to Chile and Peru, during which he faced criticism for his handling of clerical sex abuse. He spoke after his earlier statement drew fire from sex abuse victims and an extraordinary...

Source: Wall Street Journal January 22, 2018 21:33 UTC