Pope: 'act decisively' on abuse

Pope Francis called on the Church's office that is tasked with investigating sexual abuse charges to "act decisively" in these matters, according to a Vatican statement.

The Church must enact "measures to protect minors, help for those who had suffered such violence in the past, [and] due process in confronting the culprits," the pope said.

The pontiff had reportedly met with the head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith (CDF), Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, to discuss the scandals.

Francis' proposal did not differ from the line taken by his predecessor, Pope emeritus Benedict XVI. However, Benedict had been criticized for his perceived mishandling of the thousands of cases of worldwide due to his long-held position as prefect of the CDF beginning in the 1980s.

As case after case came to light over the last decade, members of the Catholic Church and local authorities questioned how victims' allegations remained secret for so long and how alleged abusers were able to remain priests.

A central challenge

There have been cases of members of the Church hierarchy knowingly transferring alleged abusers to other parishes, but it remains unknown how widely known these cases were within individual countries and across borders.

Victims and critics of the Church are eager to see how the new pontiff will affect the handling of sexual abuse cases and work to prevent future ones.

The newly inaugurated pope has captured the attention of many around the globe already for his preference of a humble lifestyle despite having the riches of the Vatican at his fingertips, as well as his eagerness to bring the Church in greater contact with the wider world.

During the days leading up to Easter Sunday, Francis quickly broke with papal tradition. Instead of washing the feet of fellow priests on Holy Thursday, he cleansed those of prisoners and included Muslims and women in the ritual.

kms/rc (AFP, dpa)