Pope Francis will host a meeting next February of senior bishops from around the globe to discuss “the protection of minors”, the Vatican announced on Wednesday.
The Church has been hit by a series of child abuse scandals in recent years, with widespread allegations of coverups, including against the pope himself.
The meeting of Episcopal Conference presidents will be held at the Vatican from February 21 to 24, the C9 cardinals’ conference that advises the pope on reform said in a statement.
Three cardinals were absent from the latest C9 meeting, including Francisco Javier Errazuriz, who is accused of ignoring reports of abuse in Chile, and George Pell who faces prosecution in Australia for child sexual offences.
Text by AFP
Credits photo: Tiziana FABI, AFP