Pope Pledges 'Action' for Abuse

After trying to evade direct reference to the latest wave of sex-abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI showed a marked shift Wednesday. At his weekly address in Rome, the pope promised to take “action” on and “bring to justice” priests who have molested children. His words are certainly more aggressive and direct than his previous statements on this issue, in which he merely asked Catholics to "do penance" for their sins. The statement follows a Sunday meeting where the pope met with eight abuse victims in Malta. "I shared with them their suffering and, with emotion, I prayed with them, promising them action on the part of the Church," he said. The pope even shed tears after the meeting, according to the Vatican. On Tuesday, the pope accepted the resignation of a Miami bishop who had been accused of covering up cases, and it’s expected that he’ll do the same for an Irish bishop later in the week.