Pope Francis warns the Catholic Church must acknowledge a history of sexual abuse and says women have ‘legitimate claims’ to seek more equality

• Pontiff said church must accept failings on widespread abuse of kids and women
• Warned Vatican must repair image among young people or become a ‘museum’ 
• Agreed women should seek equality but didn’t endorse giving them priesthood

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Pope Francis has admitted the Catholic Church must acknowledge its history of sexual abuse and agreed that women have ‘legitimate claims’ to want more justice and equality.

Addressing an array of scandals, the pontiff said on Tuesday the church has to accept its failings on widespread abuse of women and children and repair its reputation among young people or risk becoming ‘a museum’.

Francis’ comments came in a major document offering admission of failings by the clergy. 

Pope Francis has admitted the Catholic Church must acknowledge its history of sexual abuse in a major document offering admission of failings by the clergy

The pontiff said women have ‘legitimate claims’ to seek more equality in the church, but stopped short of endorsing calls to give them leadership roles

‘A living Church can look back on history and acknowledge a fair share of male authoritarianism, domination, various forms of enslavement, abuse and sexist violence,’ the 82-year-old pontiff said.

‘With this outlook, she can support the call to respect women’s rights, and offer convinced support for greater reciprocity between males and females, while not agreeing with everything some feminist groups propose,’ he added.

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In the 50-page document, known as an apostolic exhortation, he said women have ‘legitimate claims’ to seek more justice and equality in the Catholic Church, but stopped short of endorsing calls from his own bishops to give them leadership roles. 

But he also said that the church ‘could not agree with everything some feminist groups propose,’ a clear reference to the Church’s ban on a female priesthood.

He accepted young people feel alienated from the Catholic Church because of its sexual and financial scandals – but asked them to consider the ‘overwhelming majority’ of priests and other clergy who had remained faithful to their vocation

Some women’s groups have called for a female priesthood, which the Church has ruled out based on the argument that Jesus chose only men as his apostles. 

The document covers a wide range of issues confronting young people today, noting that many feel alienated from the Catholic Church because of its sexual and financial scandals, and are themselves suffering from untold forms of exploitation, conflict and despair.    

He asked young people to consider the ‘overwhelming majority’ of priests and other clergy who had remained faithful to their vocation.  

‘A Church always on the defensive, which loses her humility and stops listening to others, which leaves no room for questions, loses her youth and turns into a museum,’ he said.      

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