Francis in the Baltics

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM ESTONIA — Pope Francis said the Catholic Church has grown in its understanding of the "monstrous" problem and has "spared no effort" to protect children.

Tallinn, Estonia -- Pope Francis has acknowledged that some young people are angry with the leaders of the global Catholic Church, saying that a perceived lack of "clear condemnation" of clergy sexual abuse has resulted in youth becoming "outraged."

Catholics should stand with people who are being excluded from society, seeking to feel the wounds of those who are hurting, Pope Francis said at a Mass here Sept. 24.

Pope Francis warned Sept. 23 that society must guard against "any whiff" of a new rise in anti-Semitism, saying that young people who did not experience the barbaric killings of the Holocaust can be lost to its "siren song."

Vilnius, Lithuania -- Pope Francis began his four-day visit to the three Baltic States by praising Lithuania's history of accepting people of various backgrounds and ethnicities, calling on the country to "build bridges not walls and prefer mercy, not judgment."

Church leaders are hopeful that Francis' visit will offer encouragement to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia — and send a message to Russian leadership.