Sex abusers are ‘children of God and deserving of love — Pope Francis.
The pope has said sexually abusive priests are ‘children of God’ who must be loved as well as “enemies” who should also be punished.
The pontiff made his remarks last month during a private meeting with a group of Jesuit priests in Hungary, but they were only published on Tuesday by La Civilta Cattolica, an Italian Jesuit Journal. Francis pondered the possibility of offering ‘Christian lofe’ to pa£dophile priests who had destroyed children’s lives and Catholic Church’s reputation. “It's not at all easy," the Pope said. "How can we get close, how can we speak to abusers for whom we feel disgusts? Yes, they too are children of God, but how can we love them? It's a very tough question." He continued, "The abuser must be condemned, indeed, but as a brother. Condemning him is to be understood as an act of charity,” adding that it was like "loving the enemy".
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