Pope Francis expresses 'grief' to victims of sexual abuse in church, offers his 'prayers'

Pope Francis on Wednesday called the report detailing the victims and perpetrators of sexual abuses in the French Catholic Church “a moment of shame.” Speaking at his daily address, a day after the report found that members of Catholic clergy in France abused around 216,000 minors from 1950 to 2020, Francis called upon the leaders of the Church to ensure “similar tragedies” should never be repeated. 

The report, which sent shockwaves across the globe, even noted that despite the abuses over the span of seven decades, the Church put its protection over the survivors who were forced to remain silent. The Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) highlighted the negligence, silence, and deficiencies along with the way church leaders were protected from abuses. As per Vatican News. Pope said in his remarks to French-speaking pilgrims and visitors, “I wish to express to the victims my sadness and grief at the trauma they have suffered.”

While expressing his own shame “at the Church’s too long failure” to place the victims at the centre of its concerns, the Pope assured them of his prayers. He called on the French Bishops and religious superiors “to continue to make every effort so that similar tragedies will not be repeated.” 

Pope Francis expressed support to priests

Additionally, Pope Francis even expressed his “closeness and paternal support” to the priests of France while undergoing the “difficult but healthy” trial, stated Vatican News. He called on all the French Catholics “to assume their responsibilities to ensure that the Church is a safe home for all.” CIASE report into the Catholic Church in France found that around 330,000 children were victims of abuse between 1950 and 2020 by clergy members. 

The commission concluded that the church showed complete or cruel indifference to the ones who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of the clergy. The head of the panel investigating abuses by church members has said that thousands of paedophiles have operated inside the French catholic Church since the 1950s. 

As per the BBC report, Jean-Marc Sauvé told French media that the commission has found evidence of around 2,900 to 3,200 abusers out of the total of 115,000 priests and other clerics. He added that it is a “minimal estimate.” The commission released the dramatic report on Tuesday, October 5, based on church,m court and police archives along with interviews with victims. 

(IMAGE: AP)