The reform of the Code of Canon Law in the area of sexual abuseAt the end of Wednesday's general audience, the Pope referred to the fact that the French Bishops' Conference and the Conference of Religious Men and Women received on Tuesday the report of the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church, charged with assessing the extent of the phenomenon of sexual assaults and violence against minors since 1950. "Unfortunately, the numbers are considerable," he said.
The Holy Father wanted to express to the victims his "sadness and pain for the trauma they have suffered and my shame, our shame, for the fact that the Church has not placed them for too long at the center of her concerns, assuring them of my prayers. And I pray and we pray all together: 'To you Lord the glory, to us the shame': this is the moment of shame".
"I encourage," Francis continued, "the bishops and you, dear brothers who have come here to share this moment, I encourage the bishops and religious superiors to continue to do everything possible so that similar tragedies will not be repeated. I express to the priests of France my closeness and my fatherly support in the face of this trial, which is hard but salutary, and I invite French Catholics to assume their responsibilities so that the Church may be a safe home for all. Thank you."
