Pope Francis expressed his "deep pain and suffering" with priest sex abuse victims in his first meeting of its kind today (July 7, 2014), asking them for forgiveness and condemning what he called a "sacrilegious cult" of abusers, the Christian Post website reports.
"This is what causes me distress and pain at the fact that some priests and bishops, by sexually abusing minors, violated their innocence and their own priestly vocation. It is something more than despicable actions. It is like a sacrilegious cult, because these boys and girls had been entrusted to the priestly charisma in order to be brought to God," the Roman Catholic Church leader declared.
"And these people sacrificed them to the idol of their own concupiscence. They profane the very image of God in whose likeness we were created. Childhood, as we all know, young hearts, so open and trusting, have their own way of understanding the mysteries of God's love and are eager to grow in the faith."
Vatican Radio noted that six victims were present for the mass in the Vatican guest house where Pope Francis spoke, and also had the opportunity to speak with him privately.
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