"My Shame"... French Church Child Sexual Abuse Apologized by Pope, 330,000 Victims Over 70 Years

French Catholic Church, 330,000 Children Sexually Abused Over 70 Years... "Two-Thirds of Perpetrators Are Clergy"
Pope Francis: "This Is a Moment of Shame"

Pope Francis. [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A scandal has erupted as it was revealed that 330,000 children were sexually abused over the past 70 years in the French Catholic Church. Pope Francis personally expressed his apologies and urged measures to prevent recurrence, but the controversy is not subsiding easily.

On the 6th (local time), the Pope addressed the issue as the head of the global Catholic Church during the Wednesday General Audience held at the Paul VI Hall in Vatican City.

The Pope said, "I want to express my sorrow and pain to the victims," adding, "The Church's incompetence in neglecting this issue for a long time is my shame and the shame of all of us."

He continued, "This is a moment of disgrace," urging, "I ask bishops and senior clergy to make their best efforts to ensure that similar tragedies do not recur."

Furthermore, the Pope addressed the French clergy involved in this matter, saying, "Please deeply reflect on the responsibility for what has happened so far and make the Church a safe home for everyone."

Earlier, the French Catholic Sexual Abuse Independent Commission (CIASE) released a report revealing that 330,000 children were sexually abused by priests and church officials over the past 70 years.

According to the extensive report spanning 2,500 pages, 216,000 minors were sexually abused within the French Catholic Church. When including abuse that occurred in institutions operated by or affiliated with the Church, the number of affected minors rises to 330,000.

Notably, 80% of the victims were boys aged 10 to 13. Girls were also found to have been sexually abused by priests and nuns using crosses and other means.

Jean-Marc Souverain, the head of the investigation committee, announced the results of a report investigating sexual abuse issues within the Catholic Church over the past 70 years on the 5th (local time) in Paris.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Between 1950 and 2020, at least 3,000 perpetrators of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church were identified, two-thirds of whom were clergy. However, most of these individuals concealed their crimes for decades, avoiding legal punishment as well as internal disciplinary actions.

Jean-Marc Soubeyran, head of the investigation committee, emphasized at a press conference, "The Church owes a debt to the victims. The Church, which has remained silent for so long, must take strong measures."

He added, "The veil of silence that covered the actions committed so far has finally been lifted. The attitude shown by the Catholic side to the victims until the early 2000s was serious, cruel, and indifferent."

Meanwhile, overseas netizens expressed reactions on social media platforms such as Twitter, saying, "How will the children who suffered mental trauma from sexual abuse be helped?", "The issue is whether there are drastic measures to reduce child abuse," and "The Pope should naturally feel ashamed of this situation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.