Pope to attend all sessions of high-stakes abuse prevention summit

Pope Francis arrives in the Paul VI hall on the occasion his weekly general audience at the Vatican on Jan. 16, 2019. AP

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has confirmed he will attend all sessions of his high-stakes sex abuse prevention summit next month that will include plenary meetings, witness testimony and a penitential Mass.

The Vatican said Wednesday that the organizers of the Feb. 21 to 24 meeting met last week in Rome and briefed the Pope on their preparations.

Francis tasked the former Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, to moderate the plenary sessions of the meeting.

Francis announced in September that he was inviting presidents of bishops’ conferences around the world to attend the summit amid a crisis in his papacy over his own botched handling of abuse cases and a new explosion of the scandal in the US, Chile and beyond.

The meeting organizers have urged bishops to meet with victims before they come. /ee