U2 frontman Bono has said Pope Francis is ‘aghast’ at the abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church.
The singer was granted a meeting with the Pontiff at the Vatican on Wednesday, where they discussed a possible collaboration between Bono’s ONE organisation and the Vatican-sponsored charity Scholas Occurrentes.
Speaking after the meeting, Bono told reporters that Pope Francis was sincere in his dismay over clerical abuse.
According to Reuters, the singer said: “Having just come from Ireland, inevitably, we talked about his (being) aghast about what has happened in the Church.
#PopeFrancis meets Wednesday with singer Paul David Hewson - #Bono Vox of @U2 fame - who expressed his support for the Pontifical Foundation Scholas Occurrentes and its mission to educate young people around the world. pic.twitter.com/4pWxdzyOCe
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) September 19, 2018
“I explained to him how it looks to some people that the abusers are being more protected than the victims and you could see the pain in his face.
“I felt he was sincere and I think he is an extraordinary man for extraordinary times.”
During his visit to Ireland, Pope Francis twice asked for forgiveness for the abuses carried out by members of the Catholic Church in Ireland, first at the Knock Shrine and then at the Phoenix Park Mass.
The Pontiff has since announced a summit to be held at the Vatican next year, at which bishops from around the world will discuss protecting children from sexual abuse.
See More: Bono, ONE, Pope Francis
