A contrite Pope Francis has begged "God's forgiveness" for the child sex abuse scandal while seeking "firm and decisive measures to seek truth and justice". In accepting that the Church does have a problem, however, the exemplary Pope has stayed on the path of righteousness, showing willingness to investigate his own flock. Since he took over from his predecessor, the first Pope in 600 years to renounce his post, Pope Francis has ensured greater inclusiveness, with sexual diversity no longer a closet secret. This may have upset more conservative churchmen, particularly in America, which seems to be in rebellion over the Vatican accepting gays. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former Vatican envoy to the US, has revealed sordid details on a prominent US cardinal while demanding the Pope's resignation.
Contrast the Pope's openness over the sexual scandals in the Catholic church with that of other major religions that hardly ever visit the problem, even in discussions. It was a surprise, more than a shock, that members of the Catholic church's priesthood in India tried to play down the same kind of allegations that surround Catholic priests worldwide. Some even went to court with pleas for protection, than believing like good Catholics that the truth will set them free. There is, however, no getting away from the fact that priests' deviant sexual practices, preying on children and women, has blighted the church's history. Reports published in the US point to 300 Pennsylvania priests abusing over 1,000 children in the last seven decades. The Pope has much more to do to cleanse his clergy.
