According to the last national poll done by El Comercio-Ipsos, 76% of the respondents believe that Pope Francis must ask for forgiveness, in the name of the Catholic Church, for the sexual scandals where religious people have been involved.
Next Thursday, the Supreme Pontiff will arrive in Peru for a three-day tour, and one of the topics that bothers people the most are the cases of sexual abuse within the Church.
The poll also revealed that 93% think that Pope Francis should give a more severe sentence to the priests that have committed crimes against minors. Nevertheless, 60% consider his visit in Peru a positive one, against only 29% that see it as negative, and 11% that didn’t respond.
Regarding other questions in the poll, 48% people think that the Pope must maintain a stronger position when it comes to priests that have married; 89% believe the same about men that are physically violent to their wives or children; and 20% wishes the Church could be more open on many subjects.
Last week, the Pope ordered an intervention on the Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana (a society related to the Catholic Church in Peru) after receiving information about alleged crimes, kidnappings and psychological abuses linked to its founder, Luis Fernando Figari.
The Argentinian pope arrived yesterday in Chile and leaves for Lima on the 18th. He is expected to focus his visit on the people who live in the margins of society, as well as the sick and poor.
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