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He said in that case his predecessor, Pope Benedict, was forced to shut down an entire congregation of nuns who were being abused by priests.

It is thought to be the first time that Pope Francis has acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns by the clergy.

He said the Church was attempting to address the problem but said it was "still going on".

Last November, the Catholic Church's global organisation for nuns denounced the "culture of silence and secrecy" that prevented them from speaking out.
What did Pope Francis say?
Speaking to reporters while on a historic tour of the Middle East on Tuesday, the pontiff admitted that the Church had an issue, the roots of which lie in "seeing women as second class".

He said that priests and bishops had abused nuns, but said the Church was aware of the "scandal" and was "working on it", adding that a number of clerics had been suspended.

"It's a path that we've been on," he said.

"Pope Benedict had the courage to dissolve a female congregation which was at a certain level, because this slavery of women had entered it - slavery, even to the point of sexual slavery - on the part of clerics or the founder."

Pope Francis said sexual abuse of nuns was an ongoing problem, but happened largely in "certain congregations, predominantly new ones".

"I think it's still taking place because it's not as though the moment you become aware of something it goes away."
Where is the abuse said to have taken place?
The female congregation dissolved in 2005 under Pope Benedict was the Community of St Jean, which was based in France, Alessandro Gisotti of the Vatican press office told CBS News.

In 2013, the Community of St Jean admitted that priests had behaved "in ways that went against chastity" with several women in the order, according to the French Roman Catholic newspaper La Croix.

In a separate case in India last year, a bishop was arrested over allegations that he raped a nun 13 times between 2014 and 2016.

Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who headed the diocese in Jalandhar in the northern state of Punjab, has denied the accusations.

In Chile, reports of abuse of nuns carried out by priests led the Vatican to launch an investigation last year. The women were reportedly removed from the order after highlighting the abuse.

Last year, the Associated Press news agency reported cases of abuse in Italy and Africa.

FOR MORE DETAILS, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK:..... .......................https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47134033

...this is very serious...i though the lives of the priests is that of celibacy...

The Catholic church continuously abuses the authority and trust that its followers give to it.

How many atrocities have to be exposed before people realise that the Church is dead on its feet.

The code of silence in the Catholic church is sickening and disgusting. The pope keeps on pretending, and skirting around these horrendous issues like his predecessor,hoping the problems will evaporate into thin air.

I repeat ,What is in the public domain due to exposure of the internet is just a tip of the iceberg compared to what this evil organisation called the Catholic church is still sitting upon and hiding in its secret archives in the Vatican.
There is a Pandora box of issues of consistent and unrelenting abuse which the Pope is sitting upon,using his incresingly thread bare robes to cover,hoping these problems will go away.
The exposure is coming sooner than later...It only takes one rogue priest with information from the inner circle to blow it sky high....
Archbishop Vigano exposed the under belly of the Catholic church last year and there will definitely be others with more information but still afraid to speak out about this evil conglomerate.....

I saw this on Twitter. Pope francis for once finally admitting the abuse going on in the catholic church.

All those priests Better be in jail.