NPR

Pope Francis On Clergy Sex Abuse: 'We Showed No Care For The Little Ones'

The pontiff's comments were in a letter penned nearly a week after a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailed decades of alleged child abuse and cover-ups. "We abandoned them," Francis wrote.
Pope Francis addresses the International Pilgrimage of the Ministrants last month in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.

Editor's Note: This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.

Nearly a week after a Pennsylvania grand jury released its roughly 900-page report on sexual abuse by clergy, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church has penned a letter condemning the alleged misconduct and pledging repentance.

"The heart-wrenching pain of these victims, which cries out to heaven, was long ignored, kept quiet or, which is addressed to "the People of God." "The Lord heard that cry and once again showed us on which side he stands."

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