Leaders of the Roman Catholic church in Rome have convened for a conference on how to prevent the sexual abuse of minors.
They will also attend a prayer service, in which representatives of seven religious orders and congregations will ask for forgiveness in public for what their organisation has done to children.
Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University, led by Jesuit priests, has organised the meeting. The conference opens on Monday. Bishops and their representatives from 100 countries and the leaders of 33 orders and congregations will participate. Marie Collins, an Irish victim of rape by a Catholic priest, will also attend.
An inquiry into the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic church in the Netherlands (the Deetman inquiry) concluded in mid-December that church authorities knew sexual abuse was taking place, but that they failed to take action against it or help the victims.
(nc/tt)
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