Iran Press/ Europe: "The church had shown deep, total and even cruel indifference for years, protecting itself rather than the victims of what was systemic abuse, said Jean-Marc Sauve," head of the commission that compiled the report.
"Most of the victims were boys," he said, adding: "Many of them aged between 10 and 13."
"The church not only did not take the necessary measures to prevent abuse but also failed to report it and sometimes knowingly put children in touch with predators," he said.
The revelations in France are the latest to rock the Roman Catholic Church, after a series of sexual abuse scandals around the world, often involving children.
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The head of the French conference of bishops, Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, said the Church was shamed. He asked for forgiveness and promised to act.
The commission was established by Catholic bishops in France at the end of 2018 to shed light on abuses and restore public confidence in the church at a time of dwindling congregations. It has worked independently from the Church.
Sauve said the problem was still there. He added that the church had until the 2000s shown complete indifference to victims and that it only started to really change its attitude in 2015-2016.
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