Pope meeting abuse victims in Vatican

RTE News
July 7, 2014

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0707/628987-vatican-abuse/

The meetings come in the wake of sharp criticisms of the Holy See by two UN panels

Pope Francis is, for the first time, meeting survivors of clerical child sexual abuse, including two Irish victims, in the Vatican today.

The meetings are taking place in the guest house inside the Vatican where the Pontiff lives. 

They follow sharp exchanges earlier this year between UN panels and the Holy See over the Catholic Church's cover-ups of many abuse scandals.

There has been no official confirmation of today's encounters, but Pope Francis broke with protocol last May by revealing his plans to meet abuse survivors around now.

RTÉ News understands he is holding one-to-one meetings with six unnamed guests: a female and a male survivor each from Ireland, England and Germany.

Ahead of the meetings, he invited them to his morning Mass, which was to be attended by the recently-established Vatican Commission on the Protection of Minors. 

It is understood the survivors will be supported before and after their private meetings with the pope by commission members from their own countries.

Both Irish survivors are being assisted by the campaigner and abuse survivor Marie Collins.