Pope Francis criticises U.S. bishops over abuse scandal, demands unity

Pope Francis has criticised hypocrites in the Catholic Church.

“How often do we see the scandal of these people who go to church and are there every day, and then they lead a life in which they hate others or talk badly about other people.

“Better not go to church: Live like an atheist,’’ Francis said.

During the audience, the Argentinian leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics demonstrated his ability to connect with ordinary people.

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He however, received members of the Cuban National Circus, while he laughed with the dancing artists and balanced a football on his fingertip.

Meanwhile, Francis called on U.S. bishops to show unity as they try to tackle a sexual abuse crisis, saying internal bickering had to end over the scandal which has decimated the credibility of the American Church.

He said the handling of the scandal showed the urgent need for a new approach to management and mindset within the Church.

“God’s faithful people and the Church’s mission continue to suffer greatly as a result of abuses of power and conscience and sexual abuse, and the poor way that they were handled,” the pope wrote.

The pope added that bishops had “concentrated more on pointing fingers than on seeking paths of reconciliation.”

Pope has summoned senior Catholic bishops from around the world to the Vatican next month to discuss the protection of minors, in his latest attempt to come to grips with the abuse crisis which first erupted in the U.S.

Ahead of that meeting, U.S. bishops gathered on Wednesday near Chicago for seven days of prayer and spiritual reflection.

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“The Church’s credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes, but even more by the efforts made to deny or conceal them,” Francis said.

The pope said he was so concerned by the situation that he had hoped to attend the U.S. retreat in person, but added that he had been unable to do so “for logistical reasons.”