VATICAN CITY
Fresno Bee
The Associated Press
(Updated Friday, December 10, 2004, 3:12 PM)
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope John Paul II told American bishops Friday that he shares their pain over the U.S. sex-abuse scandal and said he was aware of their determination to deal forthrightly with the problem.
The pope has raised the sex abuse scandal and other problems facing the U.S. church as American bishops have made their periodic visits to the Vatican this year. In the last such visit of the year, he saw bishops from Minnesota as well as North and South Dakota.
John Paul, who referred to the "pain and scandal of recent years" without mentioning the problem of sex abuse by name, said his meetings with American bishops have been consolation to him.
Posted by kshaw at December 10, 2004 07:10 PM