"We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them."
Pope Francis has issued a letter to Catholics around the world, in which he condemns the crime of sexual abuse by priests and subsequent cover-ups.
Francis demanded accountability, in the wake of new revelations from the United States which makes claims of decades of misconduct by the Catholic Church.
The Pope begged forgiveness for the pain suffered by victims and said Catholics must be involved in any effort to root out abuse and cover-ups.
He attacked church leaders and accused them of being more concerned for their reputation than the safety of children.
Francis wrote: "We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them."
The Vatican issued the letter on Monday, ahead of Francis' trip this weekend to Ireland which is expected to be dominated by the abuse crisis.
