Pope Francis will host a meeting in February of senior bishops from around the globe to discuss “the protection of minors”, the Vatican announced on Wednesday. The Catholic Church has been hit by a series of child abuse scandals in recent years, with widespread allegations of cover-ups, including against the pope himself. The meeting of Episcopal Conference presidents will be held at the Vatican from February 21 to 24, the C9 cardinals’ conference that advises the pope on reform said in a statement.
