Pope seeks forgiveness for sex abuse scandals

SANTIAGO: Pope Francis met alone on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) with a small group of victims of sexual abuse by priests in Chile, after he publicly asked for forgiveness and riot police broke up a protest near the first public mass of his South American visit.

During the “strictly private” meeting at the Vatican’s Apostolic Nunciature embassy in Santiago, the victims “spoke of their suffering to Pope Francis, who listened to them and prayed and cried with them,” the Vatican said.