In a new series on child sexual abuse called "Children at Risk," the Catholic News Service reports on how extensive the abuse is in the United States and particularly in the Catholic Church.

The bishop said he believed that the current revelations are being used by the Holy Spirit to open the church “to a fuller understanding of ecclesiology that began over a half century ago.”

The Vatican on Wednesday clarified comments by Pope Francis about a case of what he called "sexual slavery" within a French congregation of nuns.

Pope Francis has downplayed expectations about the Feb. 21-24 summit at the Vatican on the sexual abuse crisis, but many hope it is a step toward a system with more accountability.

During a 45-minute press conference on the flight from Abu Dhabi to Rome, Pope Francis answered questions about whether the Holy See would be ready to act as a mediator to avoid a civil war in Venezuela, the problem of the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy in the Catholic Church and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

In a show of openness, transparency and a hope for healing, Bishop Michael G. Duca of Baton Rouge released Jan. 31 the names of all priests, a former bishop of the diocese, and one former seminarian "against whom there are credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors and/or vulnerable adults in the Diocese of Baton Rouge."