Pope Francis acknowledges ‘atrocious suffering and wounds’ caused by abuse within the Church [Video]

POPE FRANCIS TODAY said the Catholic Church must learn from victims of child sexual abuse, as he was pressed on the issue on the second day of his Belgium visit partially overshadowed by past scandals.

Replying at a meeting in Brussels to a scripted question by a representative of an organisation helping abuse victims, the pontiff acknowledged the “atrocious suffering and wounds” caused by the Church.

“There is a need for a great deal of mercy to keep us from hardening our hearts before the suffering of victims, so that we can help them feel our closeness,” Francis said at the meeting with clergy and pastoral workers.

Yesterday, he met with 17 abuse victims for over two hours who are seeking compensation from the Church for the trauma they suffered and to pay for the therapy many need.

They said they gave Francis a month to study their demands and …