Vatican seeks to defuse scandal, says pope meets victims
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican said Thursday that Pope Francis meets frequently with victims of sexual abuse, seeking to defuse a mounting scandal over his unbridled support for a Chilean bishop accused by victims of witnessing and ignoring their abuse.
Spokesman Greg Burke said Francis meets in private with victims individually or in groups several times a month to “listen to them and try to help them to heal their serious wounds.”
Yet at least one Chilean abuse victim, Juan Carlos Cruz, wondered if Francis had really heard what they said, given Francis’ dismissal of Cruz’s complaints that Chilean Bishop Juan Barros covered up his abuse. During a recent trip to Chile, Francis repeatedly called accusations against Barros by Cruz and other victims slander and said he was certain of Barros’ innocence.
Cruz said Thursday the problem of clerical abuse is global and has not stopped.