Pope beat: Pope Francis has received positive coverage and otherwise high marks since his election. Case in point: During a Wednesday speech on income equality, Obama quoted him. But as David Gibson writes, the pope’s comments on child sex abuse by priests have so far been perfunctory. And now there’s this: The pontiff is assembling a panel of experts to advise him about protecting children from sexually abusive priests and helping victims who have already been harmed. Catholics in Minnesota might appreciate it:  A new report shows nearly half the parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have been served by priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor. RNS 12-5-13