Posts tagged Abuse

Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com – Thursday, March 14, 2013
As L.A.-area Catholics praised the selection of Pope Francis, many said they hoped the new pontiff would further address the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the church. "He's got a lot of things to do right now," said Leo Medina, 65, who sat on a bench in Lynwood's Plaza Mexico on Wednesday afternoon. Medina said he believes the abuse allegations are the most important issue facing the church. PHOTOS: A new pope is chosen "It's really damaging to the church," he said. "I think a lot of people changed their religion because of this." "It's not really easy to fix this," he continued. "The damage is already done." Francis, 76, succeeds Benedict XVI as leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. Benedict stunned the church when he stepped down last month, becoming the first pontiff to do so in six centuries. FULL COVERAGE: The papal conclave Francis is the first pontiff from the Americas and the first non-European pope selected in more than a millennium. The Catholic Church has been roiled in recent years by allegations of clergy abuse in the United States, Ireland and England dating back decades. In Los Angeles, recently released court files offered evidence that some church officials made a concerted effort to shield abusers from police. Last month, in a move unprecedented in the American Catholic Church, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez relieved his predecessor, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, of all public duties over Mahony'

L.A. Catholics hope Pope Francis will further address abuse