Pope writes to Catholics on clergy sexual abuse, vows no more cover up

[August 20, 2018]    VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, facing simultaneous clergy sexual abuse crises in several countries, on Monday wrote an unprecedented letter to all the world's Catholics promising that no effort will be spared to prevent abuse and its cover up.

Pope Francis delivers a speech after a meeting with Patriarchs of the churches of the Middle East at the St. Nicholas Basilica in Bari, southern Italy July 7, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File Photo

The heartfelt letter, addressed to "the people of God," also responded to a recent grand jury report in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. He said that while most cases in the report "belong to the past," it was clear that abuse "was long ignored, kept quiet or silenced".

(Reporting By Philip Pullella, editing by Steve Scherer)

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