One of the Pope's closest advisers has been found guilty of sexually abusing 13 year old boys in a Cathedral. Can Pope Francis restore faith in the Catholic Church?
"God weeps" for the victims of child sexual abuse, Pope Francis has declared. Yet whilst the Pope might believe he knows what God feels about sex abuse, he does not appear to know what to do about tackling its continued existence within the Catholic Church.
In the week that the Pope held a conference at the Vatican aimed at finding ways to stop such horrific abuse of children by priests and bishops from happening in the future, one of his closest advisers was in a courtroom for sexually abusing 13 year old boys in a Cathedral after mass.
As Francis declared that sex abuse was the 'work of the Devil', one of his closest Vatican advisers George Pell was being found guilty by a courtroom of abusing the young boys and attempting to cover it all up. The sexual abuse of these choirboys was not the work of Satan, but the work of one of the Pope's closest confidants.
Whilst Cardinal Pell was describing homosexuality as an 'illness' and criticising divorcees and those who have had an abortion, he was secretly sexually abusing teenage boys in the back of a Cathedral. How the Vatican thinks it has the authority to be critical of people going about their lives when its own priests are committing the most appalling of crimes is, quite literally, beyond belief.
In a speech as part of his conference on child sex abuse in the Church - which saw 100 bishops meet at the Vatican to discuss what they can do about the problem within the Church - Pope Francis admitted that the situation was "scandalous", especially considering the incompatibility of such horrific behaviour with the Church's claim to "moral authority and ethical credibility". Yet Francis angered many by claiming that the 'sexual abuse of minors' is a "widespread phenomenon in all cultures and societies".
The Church cannot continue to act in the way that it does. It's leaders are quick to judge, criticise and condemn others yet seem totally incapable of living out a life of honesty, integrity and morality themselves.
In order to remain a moral force for good in this world - the original intention of the Church when founded by the earliest Christians - the Church must get its act together. There needs to be less criticism of others and more focus on bringing about radical reform from within.
The Pope cannot blame the devil or Satan or whoever for the abuse inflicted on young boys and girls by religious leaders. The Pope - and the Church - must take the blame. And the Pope must lead with real, decisive and forceful action.
Millions around the world are shaking their heads in disbelief at the hypocrisy and the horror of the situation facing the Church. Let's pray Pope Francis puts his promise to 'confront' the issue of child sex abuse into action. Today.
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