Pope Francis asks victims of sex abuse for forgiveness

On Monday, Pope Francis met and prayed with six European sex victims, who were abused by priests.

“I commit myself not to tolerate harm done to a minor by any individual, whether a cleric or not,” the pontiff said, according to The Boston Globe.

The survivors met with the Pope on Sunday, and then they joined the Pope for a private Mass on Monday morning, according to USA Today. Victims from Britain, Ireland, and Germany were able to have informal discussions with the Pope about the crisis.

The Pope vowed for zero tolerance. The Pope said that the clerical abuse cases were “grave crimes.” These meetings are the first time sex abuse victims have met with the pontiff on the Vatican grounds. The Pope begged for their forgiveness, particularly the “sins of omission on the part of church leaders.”

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, spoke out about the abuse, saying in a statement that there have been cover-ups. They said that action is the step that matters.