Pope thanks journalists for helping expose Church sex scandals

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis speaks during a meeting with people who have made a pilgrimage to the Assisi, during a private visit, ahead of World Day of the Poor, at Santa Maria degli Angeli basilica, in Assisi, Italy, November 12, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday thanked journalists for helping uncover the clerical sexual abuse scandals that the Roman Catholic Church initially tried to cover up.

The pope praised what he called the "mission" of journalism and said it was vital for reporters to get out of their newsrooms and discover what was happening in the outside world to counter misinformation often found online.