Catholic Pope affirms priest celibacy, demands ‘firm’ action on abuse

Catholic Pope Leo XIV has affirmed that priests must remain celibate and insisted the Church take “firm and decisive action” to deal with sexual abuse by clergymen.

He was speaking to over 400 bishops from 38 countries in St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, outlining what they must do to lead their congregations.

“Together with material poverty, the life of the bishop is also marked by that specific form of poverty, which is celibacy…