In a landmark speech closing this year's Meeting on the Protection of Minors, Pope Francis said that the time has come for an 'all-out battle' against the abuse of children and that this abominable crime must be eradicated from the Church and from the face of the earth. Francis condemns the 'serious scandal' of the abuse of minors by clergy and the attendant suffering caused to victims from both the abuse itself and from the 'unjustifiable negligence' and 'cover-up' by leaders in the Church. Since the problem is present on every continent, the pope calls on clergy from all corners of the globe to work together to ensure that 'every activity and every place in the Church' is 'completely safe for minors', and that every possible measure is taken to ensure that such crimes never happen again.
