Pope Francis Says 2% of Clergy Are Pedophiles

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2% of Clergy Are Pedophiles: Pope Francis
Pontiff hints at possible changes to priest celibacy

Pope Francis has offered an estimate on “the level of pedophilia in the Church,” Sky News reports: He puts it at 2%, basing his information on aides’ figures. “That 2% includes priests and even bishops and cardinals,” the pope tells La Repubblica newspaper of Italy. “Others, more numerous, know (about the problem) but keep quiet. They punish without giving the reason,” he says, per the BBC.

The figure would suggest that some 8,000 out of 414,000 clergy members worldwide are pedophiles, the BBC notes. Francis compares the issue to “leprosy” and intends to “confront it with the severity it demands.” In the interview, the pontiff also discusses the possibility of priests marrying. Celibacy, he notes, wasn’t instituted until “900 years after Our Lord’s death.” He adds: “This needs time, but there are solutions, and I will find them.”

I Take 'Personal Responsibility' for Abuse – Pope Francis

Pope Francis asked for forgiveness for the Catholic Church’s various sexual abuse scandals today, reports the AP, which notes that it is the first time he, or any pope, has taken responsibility for them. “I feel compelled to take personal responsibility for all the evil that some priests” inflicted on their victims, he said in off-the-cuff remarks to the International Catholic Child Bureau. He vowed to take even stronger actions on the issue, saying, “You don’t play around with the lives of children.”

But the declaration wasn’t enough to satisfy many abuse advocates, the New York Times reports. “#Pope Francis needs to address the cover up and facilitation of abuse by priests, not the acts of abuse themselves. That is the real crime,” tweeted the founder of one victim support group. The SNAP Network issued a statement dismissing Francis’ remarks as “dreadfully duplicitous,” and demanding Francis takes actual steps to stop the abuse that is still happening. “If a husband keeps beating his wife, the tone, tenor or length of his words are irrelevant,” the group wrote.

Agencies