Pope Francis Calls French Sex Abuse Report ‘Church’s Too Long Failure’

Pope Francis used his weekly Wednesday audience to apologize on behalf of the Catholic Church to the 330,000 French victims of clerical sex abuse revealed in a damning report on Tuesday. “I wish to express to the victims my sadness and grief at the trauma they have suffered,” Francis said, calling specifically to the French speaking people in the audience. He then expressed his own shame at what he called the “church’s too long failure” to believe victims and stop protecting predatory clergy. He applauded the French bishops conference that ordered the survey on sex abuse and asked them to “continue to make every effort so that similar tragedies will not be repeated.” A report released Tuesday concluded that around 3,200 priests, nuns and Catholic officials abused at least 330,000 French minors since 1950.