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Pope Francis: Church must 'act decisively' against paedophile priests

Pope Francis said the Catholic Church must "act decisively" against the scourge of paedophile priests, in his first public remarks on the scandal since being elected last month.

Pope Francis during Easter Mass in the Vatican Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

By Nick Squires, Rome

4:00PM BST 05 Apr 2013

Tackling the sexual abuse of children by clergymen was vital for restoring the "credibility" of the Church worldwide, Francis said.

He issued the declaration after holding a meeting with Archbishop Gerhard Muller, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican department which investigates cases of sexual abuse and decides if priests should be defrocked.

"The Holy Father in particular asked that the Congregation, continuing the line adopted by Benedict XVI, act decisively in cases of sexual abuse, promoting above all measures to protect minors, help for those who in the past suffered such violence and the necessary procedures against those who are guilty," the Vatican said in a statement.

"The Holy Father gave assurances that the victims of abuse are particularly in his prayers." Francis, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, instructed bishops around the world to take a tough line on abusive priests, in order to rebuild the credibility of the Church.

The Catholic Church has been mired in scandal over paedophile priests for more than a decade, since the first scandals erupted in the United States in 2002.

Source: Vatican news