Pope meets with 5 victims of sex abuse

The Vatican spokesman says Pope Francis met with five victims of sexual abuse: people who were victims of priests, relatives and teachers.

The Rev. Federico Lombardi says the three women and two men met with the pope for a half hour at the St. Charles Borromeo seminary Sunday, the pope’s last day in the U.S. 

Lombardi says the pope prayed with the survivors, listened to their stories and expressed his closeness in their suffering and his “pain and shame” in the case of those abused by priests.

In a statement, Lombardi says Francis renewed his commitment so that the victims are treated with justice and the guilty are punished.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who heads Francis’ sex abuse commission, organized the encounter along with the Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput.