U2 frontman Bono says Pope Francis is “aghast” at the rampant sex abuse within the Catholic Church.
The pair met privately in the Pope’s Vatican residence for 30 minutes this week to discuss, among other things, the sex abuse scandal, sustainable development, “the wild beast that is capitalism” and Bono’s ONE Campaign which advocates for ending extreme poverty with particular focus on education for girls and women.
“Having just come from Ireland, inevitably, we talked about his [being] aghast about what has happened in the Church,” the rocker explains during a press conference detailing their meeting.
During his visit to Ireland last month, Pope Francis begged for forgiveness for the sexual abuses suffered by those at the hands of the church and the systematic cover-ups by the organization.
“I explained to him how it looks to some people that the abusers are being more protected than the victims and you could see the pain in his face,” Bono, 58, says. “I felt he was sincere and I think he is an extraordinary man for extraordinary times.”
