▁those ▁Ab used ▁by ▁Pri ests , ▁considered ▁that ▁it ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁effective . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁apolog ized ▁in ▁a ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 - word ▁letter ▁after ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁a ▁grand ▁j ury ▁report ▁confirm ing ▁that ▁over ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁children ▁were ▁sex ually ▁ab used ▁by ▁" pred ator ▁pri ests " ▁in ▁Pennsylvania ▁for ▁dec ades , ▁often ▁covered ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁Church . ▁ ▁" With ▁shame ▁and ▁rep ent ance , ▁we ▁acknow ledge ▁as ▁an ▁ecc les ial ▁community ▁that ▁we ▁were ▁not ▁where ▁we ▁should ▁have ▁been , ▁that ▁we ▁did ▁not ▁act ▁in ▁a ▁tim ely ▁manner , ▁real izing ▁the ▁magnitude ▁and ▁the ▁gravity ▁of ▁the ▁damage ▁done ▁to ▁so ▁many ▁lives ▁... ▁We ▁showed ▁no ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁little ▁ones ; ▁we ▁abandoned ▁them ▁... ▁The ▁heart - w rench ing ▁pain ▁of ▁these ▁vict ims , ▁which ▁c ries ▁out ▁to ▁heaven , ▁was ▁long ▁ignored , ▁kept ▁quiet ▁or ▁sil enced ." ▁▁ ▁The ▁Pope ▁said ▁the ▁church ▁was ▁developing ▁a ▁" zero ▁toler ance " ▁policy ▁on ▁ab use ▁( which ▁he ▁called ▁" cr imes ") ▁and ▁cover - ups . ▁V at ican ▁sp okes man ▁Greg ▁Bur ke ▁emphas ized ▁that ▁the ▁letter ▁was ▁not ▁about ▁inc idents ▁in ▁a ▁specific ▁ge ographic ▁area ▁but ▁relevant ▁world wide . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁Ireland ▁on ▁ 2 6