"Many Photos" - Pope Francis admits for first time that priests and bishops sexually abused nuns

Pope Francis has admitted that priests and bishops sexually abused nuns in the past.  

Francis has for the first time today publicly acknowledged the scandal of priests and bishops sexually abusing nuns, and said he is committed to doing more to fight the problem.

Speaking to reporters, Francis said: 'Should we do something more? Yes. Is there the will? Yes. But it's a path that we have already begun.'

Francis noted that Pope Benedict XVI had taken action against a French order after some of its religious sisters had been reduced to 'sexual slavery' at the hands of priests or their founder.

The issue has come to the forefront amid the Catholic Church's overall reckoning with the sexual abuse of minors and the #MeToo-inspired acknowledgement that adults can be victims of abuse when there is an imbalance of power in a relationship.

Pope Francis arriving to celebrate Mass at Zayed Sport City city for a landmark, three-day visit

The pontiff has been in Abu Dhabi today on the final day of his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates. 

The 82-year-old pontiff held an open-air Mass for 170,000 people and led the service at a sports venue this morning where huge crowds waved Vatican flags and banners and an altar with a huge cross was erected for the Mass. 

The worship was the centrepiece of the first papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam, in a country where Christian worship is usually allowed only inside churches. 

Inside the Zayed Sports City stadium, 50,000 Catholics with tickets to the Mass cheered the pope on, with one small group hoisting a pink poster which read 'We the Catholics of Yemen love you!'. 

Pope Francis later hailed a 'step forward' in dialogue with Islam after his historic visit to the United Arab Emirates, which must still 'ripen like fruit'.

Francis leading a Holy mass in Zayed Sport City Stadium, during his historic visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates

The pope made the statement in the plane bringing him back to Rome after a visit to Abu Dhabi, where he became the first pontiff to visit the Arabian Peninsula.

He hailed the signing of a document on 'human fraternity for world peace' with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's prestigious seat of learning.

It called for 'freedom of belief', the 'promotion of a culture of tolerance', the 'protection of places of worship' and 'full citizenship' rights for minorities.

'The document was prepared with much reflection and prayer,' the pope said.

'Because for me, there's only one great danger at the moment: destruction, war, hatred between us. And if we believers aren't capable of helping each other, embracing each other... our faith will be defeated.

'I heard from several Muslims that it [the document] will be studied at university, at least at Al-Azhar, for sure, and in schools. It will be studied, not imposed,' he said.

Pope Francis waving to the crowd from his open top Mercedes Popemobile to celebrate Mass at Zayed Sport City today

Pope Francis also said the Vatican would be willing to mediate in Venezuela if both sides asked, but preliminary steps to try to bring them closer together should be taken first.

Francis, speaking to reporters aboard his plane returning from a trip to Abu Dhabi, also confirmed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had written a letter to him but that he had not yet read it.

Maduro told Italian broadcaster Sky TG24 on Monday that he had sent the letter to the pope 'for help in the process of facilitating and reinforcing dialogue'.

Asked about a possible direct mediation effort by the Vatican, the pope said: 'I will read the letter and see what can be done but the initial condition is that both sides ask for it. We are willing.'

Pope Francis (left) with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as he attends a farewell ceremony at the Abu Dhabi presidential airport

Given the failure of previous rounds of dialogue, including one led by the Vatican, opponents are suspicious, believing Maduro uses them to quell protests and buy time.

Francis added that a formal mediation should be seen as the last step in diplomacy. He said some preliminary steps had to be taken first by the Vatican and other members of the international community.

He said this would include efforts to 'to try to bring one (side) closer to the other, to start a process of dialogue'.

The pope spoke as major European nations joined the United States in recognising opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state, while members of a separate regional bloc kept up the pressure on Maduro.

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News Photo Pope Francis admits for first time that priests and bishops sexually abused nuns
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