Pope: Decisive action urgent on sexual abuse

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis said Friday that the Catholic Church should “act decisively” against cases of sexual abuse, continuing in the vein of his predecessor Benedict XVI, the Vatican said.

Francis had discussed the church’s sexual abuse scandal with Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or CDF, the church’s top disciplinary body.

It was the first time the pope had addressed the issue since taking office last month.

The pope had stressed that the CDF must “act decisively with regard to cases of sexual abuse, continuing in the line intended by Benedict XVI,” according to a statement issued by the congregation.

In particular, he called for “measures to protect minors, help for those who had suffered such violence in the past, (and) due process in confronting the culprits.”

The pope had “assured that, in his thoughts and prayers for the suffering, the abuse victims were particularly present,” the statement said.