Pope Francis Expresses 'Shame And Sorrow' Over Pennsylvania Abuse Allegations

After two days of silence and a barrage of criticism for failing to address the latest clergy sex abuse scandal in the United States, Pope Francis has spoken. "The Holy See condemns unequivocally the sexual abuse of minors," said a statement issued by the Vatican on Thursday. "Regarding the report made public in Pennsylvania this week, there are two words that can express the feelings faced with these horrible crimes: shame and sorrow," Vatican spokesman Greg Burke wrote. The Pennsylvania grand jury report released on Tuesday consists of 884 pages, not including exhibits, of allegations that 301 clergy members throughout the state had been accused of sexually abusing a total of more than 1,000 minors over the past 70 years. "The abuses described in the report are criminal and morally reprehensible," Burke said, adding, "The Church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse to occur." The Vatican noted the