DHAKA: Pope Francis on Thursday set up a committee to fight child sex abuse in the Catholic Church and give pastoral care to victims following a recommendation from a council of cardinals he has asked to advise him.

The announcement was made by United States cardinal Sean O’Malley, the Archbishop of Boston and one of the eight members of the council, who said the precise composition of the new committee will be announced ‘in the near future’.

Cardinal O’Malley said the council suggested the new committee on Wednesday and Pope Francis approved it on Thursday, adding that the initiative was also in line with the zero-tolerance approach of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

The committee could come up with codes of professional conduct for clergymen, guidelines for Church officials in individual countries on how to deal with misconduct and checks for would-be priests, Cardinal O’Malley said, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1900 HRS, DEC 05, 2013