Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the Catholics and the President of the Vatican, stated that he is ashamed of the fact that 216 thousand children have been victims of sexual abuse in churches in France since 1950.
It has been determined that 216 thousand children have been sexually abused in churches in France since 1950. Jean-Marc Sauve, Chairman of the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in Churches (CIASE), stated that the Catholic Church did not take the necessary measures against sexual abuse incidents.
Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of the Catholics and the President of the Vatican, touched on the report of sexual abuse against children in churches in France, which was announced yesterday, at the plenary session where he hosted believers from different places in the Vatican on Wednesdays.
Stating that a significant number of victims were mentioned in the report, the spiritual leader said: “I would like to express my sadness and pain for the trauma they experienced. It’s our shame, my shame, that the church couldn’t put them at the center of its concern for too long. This is a moment of shame.”
The Pope stated that these events should not be repeated and asked all the bishops to take the necessary measures in this regard. Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the French priests in the face of this situation, which he described as a “difficult test”, and urged French Catholics to ensure that the church remains a safe home for all.
