Pope Francis is summoning the presidents of every bishops conference around the world for a February summit to discuss preventing clergy sex abuse and protecting children–evidence that he realises the scandal is global and that inaction threatens to undermine his legacy.<\/p>\n
Francis\u2019 key cardinal advisers announced the decision Wednesday, a day before Francis meets with US church leaders who have been deeply discredited by the latest accusations in the Catholic Church\u2019s decades-long sex abuse and cover-up scandal.<\/p>\n
The February 21-24 meeting at the Vatican is believed to be the first of its kind, and signals a realisation at the highest levels of the church that clergy sex abuse is a global problem and not restricted to the Anglo-Saxon world, as many church leaders have long tried to insist.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Francis faced what was then the worst crisis of his papacy when he repeatedly discredited victims of a notorious Chilean predator priest. He eventually admitted to \u201cgrave errors in judgment\u201d and has taken steps to make amends, sanction guilty bishops and remake the Chilean episcopacy.<\/p>\n
More recently, Francis\u2019 papacy has been jolted by accusations from a retired Vatican ambassador that he rehabilitated a top American cardinal from sanctions imposed by Pope Benedict XVI for having molested and harassed adult seminarians.<\/p>\n
The Vatican hasn\u2019t responded to the accusations by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, but has promised \u201cclarifications\u201d that presumably will come sometime after Francis\u2019 meeting Thursday with the US delegation.<\/p>\n
The Vatican said Tuesday the meeting would be headed by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and also include Francis\u2019 top sex abuse adviser, Cardinal Sean O\u2019Malley.<\/p>\n
Di Nardo has said he wants Francis to authorise a full-fledged Vatican investigation into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was removed as cardinal in July after a credible accusation that he groped a teenager.<\/p>\n
The Vatican has known since at least 2000 that McCarrick would invite seminarians to his New Jersey beach house and into his bed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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