Pope acknowledges 2,000-case backlog in sex abuse cases

Francis was making his first comments about the criticism levelled at the Vatican's handling of sex abuse cases by Marie Collins, an Irish abuse survivor who resigned from Francis' sex abuse advisory commission in March.

The Vatican has a 2,000-case backlog in processing clerical sex abuse cases, and criticism of the slow pace is justified, Pope Francis has said.

But he said Saturday that more staff were being added and insisted the Vatican is "on the right path".