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| Pope Francis holds first meeting with sex abuse victims | Pope Francis holds first meeting with sex abuse victims |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Pope Francis has met the victims of sexual abuse by priests for the first time since his election last year. | Pope Francis has met the victims of sexual abuse by priests for the first time since his election last year. |
| He received the six victims - two each from Ireland, Britain and Germany - at his residence after they attended a private morning Mass in the Vatican. | He received the six victims - two each from Ireland, Britain and Germany - at his residence after they attended a private morning Mass in the Vatican. |
| The Pope has vowed to punish clergy who have abused children, describing their actions as "satanic". | The Pope has vowed to punish clergy who have abused children, describing their actions as "satanic". |
| The Church has been heavily criticised for failing to tackle abuse, following a series of scandals worldwide. | The Church has been heavily criticised for failing to tackle abuse, following a series of scandals worldwide. |
| At a press conference on Monday, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said Pope Francis had spent half an hour with each of the victims who visited him. He said the Pope had also greeted the group at a dinner on Sunday evening. | |
| Former envoy convicted | Former envoy convicted |
| Some victims' groups have criticised Pope Francis for having failed to meet their representatives sooner. | |
| The Pope's predecessor, Pope Benedict, met abuse victims several times on trips outside Italy. | |
| "It seems as though this is more of a public relations event for the Vatican and for Pope Francis," said Barbara Blaine, a member of an abuse survivors' group. | |
| She said the Pope had not done enough to protect vulnerable children. | |
| Many survivors of abuse by priests are also angry at what they see as the Vatican's failure to punish senior officials who have been accused of covering up scandals. | |
| Pope Francis last year strengthened the Vatican's laws against child abuse. | Pope Francis last year strengthened the Vatican's laws against child abuse. |
| He has also set up a committee, whose members include a cardinal and an abuse victim, to draw up plans to tackle exploitation by priests. | He has also set up a committee, whose members include a cardinal and an abuse victim, to draw up plans to tackle exploitation by priests. |
| The committee is expected to announce on Monday that it will expand to include more members from the developing world, Reuters news agency reports. | The committee is expected to announce on Monday that it will expand to include more members from the developing world, Reuters news agency reports. |
| Last month, a Vatican tribunal convicted Josef Wesolowski, a former papal envoy to the Dominican Republic, of sex abuse and stripped him of the priesthood. | Last month, a Vatican tribunal convicted Josef Wesolowski, a former papal envoy to the Dominican Republic, of sex abuse and stripped him of the priesthood. |
| Wesolowski is the highest-ranking Vatican official to have been investigated over abuse claims. | Wesolowski is the highest-ranking Vatican official to have been investigated over abuse claims. |