Pope urges predator priests to turn themselves in

Pope Francis delivers his message to the Roman Curia on the occasion of Christmas in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican, December 21, 2017. REUTERS/ Claudio Peri/pool

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday urged predator priests who have sexually abused minors to turn themselves in, making one of his strongest comments ever on the crisis sweeping the Roman Catholic Church.

While it was not immediately clear if Francis was saying such priests should surrender to the Church judicial system, civil justice, or both, Vatican sources believed it was the first time the pope had made such a direct appeal.