▁conscience ." ▁ ▁Cont ro vers ies ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁criticism ▁against ▁Francis ▁has ▁intens ified , ▁particularly ▁by ▁the ological ▁conserv atives . ▁One ▁comment ator ▁has ▁described ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁resistance ▁against ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁as ▁" unique ▁in ▁its ▁visibility " ▁in ▁recent ▁Church ▁history . ▁ ▁Sex ual ▁ab use ▁ ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁has ▁admitted ▁that ▁the ▁Church ▁" ar riv ed ▁late " ▁in ▁dealing ▁with ▁sexual ▁ab use ▁cases . ▁During ▁his ▁pap acy , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁ab use ▁surv iv ors ▁have ▁expressed ▁disappoint ment ▁in ▁Francis ' s ▁response ▁to ▁sex ▁ab use ▁in ▁the ▁Church ▁while ▁others ▁have ▁pra ised ▁him ▁for ▁his ▁actions . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Francis ▁was ▁critic ized ▁for ▁supporting ▁Chile an ▁bishop ▁Juan ▁Bar ros , ▁who ▁was ▁accused ▁of ▁covering ▁up ▁sex ▁cr imes ▁committed ▁against ▁min ors . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Francis ▁acknowled ged ▁he ▁had ▁made ▁" gra ve ▁errors " ▁in ▁judgment ▁about ▁Bar ros , ▁apolog ized ▁to ▁the ▁vict ims ▁and ▁launched ▁a ▁V at ican ▁investigation ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁Bar ros ▁and ▁two ▁other ▁Chile an ▁b ish ops . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁apolog ized ▁for ▁ab uses ▁by ▁cler gy ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Ireland . ▁ ▁Form er ▁pap al ▁nun cio ▁Carlo ▁Maria ▁V igan ò ▁released ▁an ▁ 1 1 - page