Pope Vows to Combat Clergy Sex Abuse of Nuns; Says It's "Serious Grave Problem We Must Fight"

Pope Francis vowed yesterday to combat the sexual abuse of nuns and urged religious sisters to just say no when clergy want to use them as maids, the Crux website reports today (January 25, 2020).

Francis told 850 superiors of religious orders gathered for the triennial assembly of the International Union of Superiors General -- the main umbrella group of nuns -- that theirs is a vocation of service, not servitude.

The union's president, Maltese Sister Carmen Sammut, told Francis that clergy abuse of sisters was "diffuse in  many parts of the world," and included sexual abuse, spiritual abuse, as well as taking of their property.

Francis said clergy sexual abuse of sisters was "a serious grave problem" of which he was well aware. "We have to fight this..."