Portugal's Catholic Church has said it will set up a national committee to investigate the sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults.
The new authority will coordinate the work of local church groups looking into possible cases of historical abuse by members of the clergy.
Portuguese bishops said on Thursday that the committee will "strengthen and broaden" the church’s response to any abuse allegations.
Plans for the national committee were announced after a four-day meeting at the Fátima shrine in central Portugal.
"We are not afraid" of this issue, said Bishop José Ornelas, president of the Portuguese Bishops' Conference (CEP).
It comes after a bombshell report last month revealed large-scale child sex abuse within the French Catholic
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