Vatican's Meeting Of Bishops Is Overshadowed By Abuse Allegations

As clerical sex abuse scandals buffet the Catholic Church, a three-week assembly of bishops is under way in Rome on how to make the Church relevant for young people. But the assembly, known as a synod, will likely be dominated by what many analysts call Catholicism's worst crisis since the reformation. Roughly 250 priests, bishops, cardinals and some younger laypersons are participating in the synod. In the opening mass, pope Francis urged them "to dream and to hope." And he prayed for God's help to ensure the Church does not let itself "be extinguished or crushed by the prophets of doom and misfortune, by our own shortcomings, mistakes and sins." Spiraling sex abuse scandals have hurt the pope. A new Pew Research Center poll found Francis' favorability rating in the United States is 51 percent — down 19 points since January 2017. As the synod opened, one block from St. Peter's Square, some 20 abuse survivors — members of the international group Ending Clergy Abuse — voiced their anger