Pope calls for re-think of Church's central message after abuse scandals
The Catholic Church has to find what is wrong with its message and with Christian life in general following the widespread sexual abuse of children by priests, the Pope said today.
He said the Church must better train priests so the abuse never happens again and must work out how to help victims heal.
The Pope made the remarks to Vatican cardinals and bishops gathered for his traditional Christmas speech, an eagerly anticipated address that he uses to press key issues he wants the Church hierarchy to reflect on.
While stressing that many priests do good work, the Pope said revelations of abuse in 2010 reached “an unimaginable dimension” that required the Church to accept the “humiliation” as a call for renewal.
