US nuns urge structural change in Catholic Church

By Umar Farooq</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AA) – The largest body of Catholic nuns in the U.S. called for a change in the structure of the predominantly male-led Catholic Church on Thursday after Pope Francis publicly acknowledged that priests had been sexually abusing nuns.</p> <p>The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) issued a public statement calling for the church to rectify the issue of sexual abuse by members of the clergy.</p> <p>&quot;The revelations of the extent of abuse indicate clearly that the current structures must change if the church is to regain its moral credibility and have a viable future,&quot; it said.</p> <p>The LCWR statement comes after Pope Francis said the church was facing a problem of clergy abusing nuns and that the issue was being looked into and worked on, according to reports.</p> <p>His comments mark the first time a pope has acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns in the Catholic Church.</p> <p>The LCWR, which represents about 80 percent of the Catholic nuns in the U.S., said they are grateful that the pope was able to &quot;shed light on a reality that has been largely hidden from the public&quot;.</p> <p>The organization offered two structural changes in its statement: create mechanisms where victims can report abuse in a safe environment, and reorganize leadership structures so not all power is afforded to the clergy.

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