Pope says he shares outrage over clergy abuse cover-up

Pope Francis said at the start of a visit to Ireland today that he shares the outrage of rank-and-file Catholics over the failure of church authorities to punish the "repugnant crimes" of priests who raped and molested children.

Seeking to respond to a global outcry over the abuse scandal, Francis cited measures taken by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, to respond to the crisis. But Benedict never acknowledged the Vatican's role in fueling a culture of cover-up, and Francis provided no new details of any measures he would take to sanction bishops who fail to protect their flocks.

"The failure of ecclesial authorities bishops, religious superiors, priests and others to adequately address these repugnant crimes has rightly given rise to outrage, and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community. I myself share these sentiments," the pope said in a speech to government and civil authorities at Dublin Castle.

Adding to his prepared remarks, Francis said he was committed to ridding the church of this "scourge" no matter the moral cost or amount of suffering.

Francis trip has been overshadowed by renewed outrage over the Catholic Church's systemic failures to protect children following revelations of sexual misconduct and cover-up in the US church hierarchy, a growing crisis in Chile and prosecutions of top clerics in Australia and France.

Francis was expected to meet with victims during his 36-hour visit to Ireland.

But neither his words at the start of his visit nor a new meeting with victims is likely to assuage demands for heads to roll over the scandal.

Perhaps in an indication of popular sentiments, the reception Francis received in Dublin contrasted sharply with the raucous, rock star welcome that greeted St. John Paul II in 1979. No one from the general public was on hand at the airport or the roads nearby, and only a handful of people waited to cheer him outside the
"Obviously, they are very disappointed by what has been happening in the church in the last few years, particularly the whole abuse scandals, but I think people can see beyond that."
In his inaugural speech, Francis referred euphemistically to the plight of Irish wome0n who were forced for generations to work in laundries or other workhouses because they got pregnant outside of marriage, saying only that they "endured particularly difficult situations."