Thirty-one percent of readers rated Pope Francis’ handling of sex abuse in the church as “somewhat positive,” while 30 percent of readers told us it was “somewhat negative.”

The challenge for the church is to help survivors and stop abuse from happening again, and the pope appears to be falling short.

The Vatican's sex-crimes expert is changing plans and will fly to New York to take in-person testimony from a Chilean sex-abuse victim whose pleas to be heard by Pope Francis were previously ignored.

The fact that Francis received the eight-page letter challenges his insistence that he has “zero tolerance” for sex abuse and cover-ups.

Reports that dozens of “hostesses” were sexually harassed at the Presidents Club fundraiser led several charities to return donations from the event.

Until now Pope Francis has stood firmly by Bishop Barros.