Pope Francis Will Meet With Sexual-Abuse Victims Next Month

Pope Francis will meet with a group of sex-abuse victims next month at the Vatican. It will be the pontiff's first such meeting since he took over the papacy in March 2013, according to the Associated Press.

The pope also declared "zero tolerance" and said "there are no privileges" for any clergy members who would violate children, the AP reported. "On this issue, we must go forward, forward," he said.

Francis made the announcement to journalists aboard the papal airplane on Monday, as the pope traveled home from a three-day stay in Jerusalem. The stance, while long overdue in the eyes of many outsiders, is a major public step for the Catholic church, which has dealt with sexual-abuse allegations for years Read more...