, ▁the ▁Universal ▁Church ▁is ▁divided ▁as ▁never ▁before ." ▁ ▁Rec ently ▁n uns ▁have ▁accused ▁cler ics ▁of ▁sexual ▁ab use ▁in ▁Italy , ▁the ▁V at ican , ▁France , ▁India , ▁Latin ▁America ▁and ▁Africa . ▁Luc ette ▁Sc ara ff ia , ▁a ▁femin ist ▁intellectual ▁and ▁the ▁editor ▁in ▁chief ▁of ▁Women ▁Church ▁World , ▁a ▁V at ican ▁magazine , ▁noted ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁n uns ▁having ▁abort ions ▁or ▁giving ▁birth ▁to ▁children ▁of ▁cler ics . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁acknowled ged ▁public ly ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁that ▁the ▁church ▁has ▁suffered ▁an ▁issue ▁of ▁pri ests ▁and ▁b ish ops ▁sex ually ▁ab using ▁n uns . ▁Francis ▁had ▁conven ed ▁a ▁V at ican ▁sexual ▁ab use ▁sum mit ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁pres idents ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁con ferences ▁of ▁Catholic ▁b ish ops ▁on ▁cler gy ▁sexual ▁ab use ▁in ▁Rome ▁ 2 1 – 2 4 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁As ▁a ▁follow - up ▁to ▁that ▁sum mit , ▁on ▁ 9 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁Francis ▁prom ul g ated ▁the ▁mot u ▁proprio ▁V os ▁est is ▁lux ▁m und i ▁which ▁specified ▁respons ib ilities , ▁including ▁reporting ▁directly ▁to ▁the ▁Holy ▁See ▁on ▁b ish ops ▁and ▁on ▁one ' s ▁superior , ▁while ▁simultaneously ▁involving ▁another ▁bishop ▁in ▁the ▁arch di oc ese ▁of ▁the ▁accused ▁bishop . ▁ ▁The