Wed 06 October 2021:
Referring to an investigation report on sexual abuse against children in France’s Catholic churches, Pope Francis said on Wednesday he was ashamed.
Since 1950, around 216,000 children have been sexually molested in French churches.
Following a meeting at the Vatican, Pope Francis said: “I would like to express my sadness and pain for the trauma they experienced. It’s my shame, our shame, that the Church couldn’t put them at the center of its concern for too long.”
Describing the situation as a “difficult test”, he urged the French Catholics to ensure that the church remains a safe home for all.
Between 1950 and 2020, an independent commission found 216,000 cases of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in France, according to a shocking report released Tuesday.
The French Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) revealed during a press conference that anywhere from 2,900 to 3,200 priests and other church members were given free reign to abuse parishioners, which was then hushed up by church leaders.
The commission was established in 2018 by the French Bishops’ Conference and the national congregations conference to investigate the matter.
According to Jean-Marc Sauve, the former head of CIASE, the Catholic church did not take the essential steps to prevent sexual assault.
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