Pope Francis answers questions from journalists aboard his flight from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to Rome Feb. 5, 2019. Also pictured are Msgr. Mauricio Rueda, papal trip planner, and Alessandro Gisotti, interim Vatican spokesman. (CNS/Paul Haring)
by Joshua J. McElwee
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Pope Francis has admitted that the Vatican must do more to prevent the physical and sexual abuse of nuns and sisters by Catholic priests.
In a press conference aboard the papal flight back to Rome after a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, the pope said mistreatment of women religious is something the Vatican has been working to address "for some time."
"Must something more be done?" the pope asked aloud. "Yes," he answered.
"Do we have the will?" Francis then asked. "Yes," he answered.
Francis spoke about abuse of women religious in a half-hour press conference in which he also expressed openness to the Vatican stepping in to mediate in Venezuela, where the head of the country's national assembly has declared himself president after months of unrest over Nicolas Maduro's continuing leadership.
