Pope promises ‘concrete’ actions on sex abuse

Pope Francis on Thursday pledged “concrete” action to address the sexual abuse crisis that has plagued the Catholic Church.

“Listen to the cry of the young, who want justice,” Francis said during a sexual abuse prevention summit, according to The Associated Press.

“The holy people of God are watching and expect not just simple and obvious condemnations, but efficient and concrete measures to be established,” he added.

{mosads}About 200 church leaders are at the summit, which is being held to help bishops prevent sexual abuse in their churches and encourage them to investigate crimes when they happen, according to the AP.

“Faced with the scourge of sexual abuse committed by men of the Church against minors, I wanted to reach out to you,” Francis told the bishops, according to Reuters.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna encouraged bishops to cooperate with police investigations and publicly announce decisions about predators, according to the AP.

He also said that the people of God “should come to know us as friends of their safety and that of their children and youth.”

“We will protect them at all cost,” he added. “We will lay down our lives for the flocks entrusted to us.”

Sexual abuse scandals have surfaced in the Catholic Church in the United States, Chile, Australia, Ireland and elsewhere.