Church must act decisively on sexual abuse, says pope

Pope Francis has called for strong, specific worldwide measures for the Roman Catholic Church to act “with determination” against the clergy sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the church for more than a decade.

It is one of the first actions on a major issue in Francis’s weeks-old papacy, one that has been marked chiefly by attention to his humble, low-key style.

After he met April 5 with the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueler, the Vatican said in a statement: “The Holy Father recommended that the congregation continue the line sought by Benedict XVI, to act with determination in regard to cases of sexual abuse.”