CNN
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Pope Francis says he has taken it on himself to rid the Catholic Church of sexual abuse, telling CNN’s associate channel CNN Portugal that he was “responsible that it doesn’t happen anymore.”
In an unique, wide-ranging interview in Rome final month, the Pontiff mentioned the church had “zero tolerance” for abuse and mentioned that “a priest cannot remain a priest if he is an abuser.”
The church’s response to intercourse abuse scandals has change into one of many defining themes of Francis’ time as Pope, and he informed CNN Portugal that each case of abuse throughout the church “hurts” him.
Multiple stories detailing a long time of sexual abuse, systemic failures and cover-ups throughout a number of international locations have been launched since Francis turned the chief of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics in 2013. While he was criticized for a few of his actions – similar to when he defended a Chilean bishop accused of overlaying up a intercourse scandal in 2018, a choice he later described as a “grave error” – he has since taken a agency stance on the problems and launched some reforms.
In 2019, he abolished Vatican secrecy guidelines for instances of sexual abuse and put in place new guidelines that made it obligatory for the primary time for all dioceses to arrange techniques for reporting abuse and cover-ups.
Two years later, he issued probably the most intensive revision to Catholic Church regulation in 4 a long time, insisting that bishops take motion towards clerics who abuse minors and susceptible adults. The guidelines additionally demanded motion towards monks who commit fraud or try and ordain girls.
Addressing the subject, Francis mentioned he didn’t imagine celibacy performed a job in inflicting the abuse.
“I don’t deny the abuse. Even if it was only one [case], it is monstrous. Because you, priest, you, nun, have to take that boy, that girl to God and with this you destroy their lives. It’s monstrous. It is destroying lives. And then they come to you with questions. Could it be that celibacy [is to blame]? It’s not about celibacy,” he mentioned.
“This is one thing about abuse, it is a destructive thing, humanly diabolical,” he mentioned. “In families there is no celibacy and all that and, sometimes, it happens. So, it is simply the monstrosity of a man or woman of the church who is psychologically ill or evil and uses their position for their personal satisfaction,” he added.
The Pope additionally revealed that he has been in touch with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, talking to him on the telephone.
He mentioned he has previously met each Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin once they visited him in Rome. But when requested what he may inform the 2, the Pope mentioned: “I don’t know.
“I had a dialogue with both [of them]. They both visited me here before the war. And I always believe that in dialogue we always move forward,” the Pope mentioned. “You know who doesn’t know how to talk? Animals. They are pure instinct.”
Francis has been criticized for a few of his feedback about Russia’s conflict on Ukraine. In a June interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa, Francis mentioned the conflict “was perhaps in some way either provoked or not prevented.” He mentioned that earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine he met with “a head of state” who “was very worried about how NATO was moving.”
Last month, the Pope angered Kyiv by referring to Russian political commentator Darya Dugina, the daughter of an ultra-nationalist thinker, as being among the many “innocent” victims of the conflict after she was killed by a automotive bomb on the outskirts of Moscow.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, to debate Francis’ assertion, saying that it “unjustly” equates “the aggressor and the victim.”
The Pope, who has beforehand indicated he could be keen to journey to Kyiv and Moscow, informed CNN Portugal such a go to was “up in the air.”
No Pope has ever traveled to Moscow earlier than. Pope John Paul II traveled to Ukraine in 2001.
He mentioned he was unable to journey for the time being due to points along with his knee, however mentioned that his presence in Ukraine was “strong” as a result of he despatched a number of cardinals to Kyiv to characterize him.