Pope Francis has admitted that he made "grave mistakes" in his handling of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, telling the country's bishops in a letter that he feels "pain and shame".

In an extraordinary public letter released by the Vatican Wednesday, Francis summoned all of Chile's bishops to the Vatican for an emergency meeting in the coming weeks to discuss the scandal.

In the three-page letter in Spanish, the head of the Roman Catholic Church also invited the victims he had once doubted to Rome to seek their forgiveness personally.

Francis blamed a lack of "truthful and balanced information'' for his failure in judging the case of Bishop Juan Barros, a protege of Chile's most notorious predator priest, the Rev. Fernando Karadima. Francis strongly defended the bishop during his January visit to Chile despite accusations by victims that Barros had witnessed and ignored their abuse.

In Chile and during an airborne press conference returning to Rome, Francis accused the victims of "calumny'' for pressing their case against Barros, demanded they present "proof'' of their claims and revealed he had twice rejected Barros' resignation. "I am convinced he is innocent,'' the pope insisted.

The change in the pope's thinking comes after a visit to Chile by one of the Vatican's most experienced sexual abuse investigators, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta. The letter makes no mention of Barros' future.

罗马天主教教宗方济各承认，他在处理智利教职人员性虐待的问题上犯了“严重错误”。教宗方济各在给智利所有主教的信中说，他感到“痛苦和羞耻”。

【罗马天主教宗承认处理智利性虐丑闻时犯了“严重错误”】相关文章：

★ 三菱东京日联银行行长警告国债持有风险

★ 盖特纳四年前已知Libor隐忧

★ 伦敦英国白人不再占多数

★ 空前绝后的波特酒品酒会

★ 对美投资频受挫 中美贸易关系趋紧

★ “新丝绸之路”

★ 茶餐厅连锁翠华控股香港上市首日股价飙升

★ 国家电网挺进澳大利亚

★ 盘点2011-《时代》十大消费电子设备

★ 双语：新型电脑芯片可让电脑提速20倍