Vatican synod on youth won't include discussion of sex abuse

Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Pope Francis opened a monthlong meeting of bishops Wednesday aimed at encouraging youth to return to the Catholic Church, but the lack sexual abuse on the agenda has drawn criticism.

The Vatican synod brought together nearly 300 bishops and archbishops from more than 100 countries to talk about topics that impact youth, including video games, war and migration.

"Having been formed by so many choices taken in the past, young people now call us to join them in facing the present with greater commitment and to work against whatever prevents their lives from growing in a dignified way," the pope said Wednesday morning during a mass opening the meeting.

"They ask us and demand of us a creative dedication, a dynamism which is intelligent, enthusiastic and full of hope. They ask us not to leave them alone in the hands of so many pedlars of death who oppress their lives and darken their vision."

But some, including survivors of clergy sex abuse, questioned why that topic wasn't expected to be discussed during the synod. The victims want the gathering of bishops to acknowledge decades of abuse against children worldwide, CBS News reported.

Survivors who said they had been abused at the Antonio Provolo Institute for the Deaf in Verona, Italy, said they planned to protest Wednesday at the Vatican.

In September, Pope Francis called a meeting of Catholic bishops for February to discuss prevention of sexual abuse within the church. The unprecedented convocation, which has a theme of "protection of minors," will take place Feb. 21-24 in Rome.

The Vatican announcement came on the heels of a Pennsylvania grand jury report in August that outlined reported cases of abuse. The pope also met with abuse victims in Ireland that month.

A Pew survey released Tuesday found U.S. confidence in the way Pope Francis has handled the sex abuse scandal has declined since the beginning of the year.

The poll found 31 percent of American Catholics believe the pope's actions are "excellent" or "good," down from 45 percent in January. The number was 55 percent in June 2015 and 54 percent in February 2014.

Overall, U.S. Catholics have a 72 percent favorable view of the pope, down from 84 percent in January. The unfavorable rating has increased from 9 percent to 20 percent.