Pope Francis has called for the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea to be particularly close to women who have been abused and marginalized. He's speaking out in a country where violence against women is reported to be more than twice the global average. Francis heard first-hand Saturday about the plight of women during his first full day in the South Pacific nation. A nun told him of the church’s work caring for women who have been attacked and accused of witchcraft and sorcery, and then shunned by their families. Francis is in Papua New Guinea on the second leg of his four-nation trip through Asia and Oceania.
