VATICAN (voa) – The Vatican says a two-day meeting next week with U.S. Catholic leaders will introduce guidelines for restoring trust in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States after a series of child sex scandals.
Pope John Paul II has summoned top U.S. Catholic officials to Rome next Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the Church’s response to the crisis. The U.S. Catholic officials are also to meet with the heads of Vatican departments.
Bishop Wilton Gregory, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will attend along with at least eight U.S. cardinals.
The summons from the Pope came after the U.S. scandals dominated his talks with top U.S. bishops during a semi-annual conference in Rome. The Pope was reported to be deeply touched by the pain of the victims of sexual abuse by American priests. He also affirmed his support for the Catholic Church in the United States.
The sex scandals have surfaced in many U.S. cities including Boston, New York, St. Louis and Los Angeles. The church has paid millions of dollars in damages to victims and faces many lawsuits.
Officials with the U.S. Catholic Church are accused of covering up misconduct by priests by transferring them from parish to parish after they were linked to sexual misconduct.
