Pope to Abuse Victims: I Beg Your Forgiveness

In a gesture that's grabbing some attention, Pope Francis today met with victims of clergy sexual abuse—six of them, two each from Britain, Germany, and Ireland—and apologized for the "sins of omission on the part of Church leaders who did not respond adequately to reports of abuse made by family members, as well as by abuse victims themselves." He met for a half-hour with each of the victims, reports CNN, having held a private Mass with them beforehand. They also shared a group dinner last night.

"Before God and his people I express my sorrow for the sins and grave crimes of clerical sexual abuse committed against you. And I humbly ask forgiveness," Francis said in his homily, per text provided by the Vatican. But as the BBC notes, not everyone is impressed. "It seems as though this is more of a public relations event for the Vatican and for Pope Francis," says a victims' group rep. The Vatican is set today to expand a committee designed to tackle sex abuse by the clergy. (More Pope Francis stories.)