Pope Francis has apologised to victims of clerical sex abuse on Sunday, acknowledging he had “wounded many” in comments defending a Chilean bishop who is under scrutiny. A Chilean, Juan Carlos Cruz, said Barros saw Karadima abuse him. In his comments on the plane, the pope disclosed that Barros had offered to resign twice in recent years but Francis rejected the offers. Priestly pardonsVictims group have criticised the pope’s record on dealing with clerical sexual abuse. While the pope has vowed “zero tolerance” for sexual abuse, his efforts have sputtered.

Source: The Irish Times January 22, 2018 15:22 UTC