Pope Francis met a group of
victims of pedophile priests on the first full day of his trip
to Chile on Tuesday, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said.
He said the meeting took place with a "small group of victims
of sexual abuse by priests" at the Apostolic Nunciature in
Santiago.
"No one else was present. Only the pope and the victims,"
Burke said.
"This was so they could speak of their suffering to Pope
Francis, who listened to them and prayed and cried with them".
The pope had apologised for child sex abuse by the clergy on
Tuesday.
"Here I feel bound to express my pain and shame at the
irreparable damage caused to children by some ministers of the
Church," he said as he addressed Chile's government authorities,
civil societies, and the diplomatic corps at the La Moneda
Palace in Santiago.
"I am one with my brother bishops, for it is right to ask
for forgiveness and make every effort to support the victims,
even as we commit ourselves to ensuring that such things do not
happen again".
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