VATICAN CITY (Reuters), Pope Francis expressed his sadness and shame Wednesday at the Catholic Church’s failure to respond to the child sexual abuse in France. He said that the Church should be a “safe haven” for everyone.

Francis spoke at his weekly general audiences, “I want to express my sorrow, my pain for their trauma and also my shame (our shame) for the inability of the church to place them centrally for too long.”

The pontiff spoke out a day following a massive investigation that revealed abuse by clergy in France of more than 200 000 children in the past 70 years. He invited Catholics to France to accept responsibility and make the Church a safe place for all.

He said that this was the time of shame and urged bishops to do all they can to prevent “similar tragedies” from happening again.

Jean-Marc Sauve (head of the commission which compiled this report) stated that for many years the Church has shown indifference toward the abuses, preferring instead to protect the victims who are often between 10 and 13 years of age.

In its report, the commission stated that 1950-1970 was when the abuse reached its peak. There has also been an apparent rise in cases during the early 1990s.

In his remarks, the pontiff said that he had been close to French priests facing “hard but health” challenges.

Already, the Pope expressed gratitude for victims’ courage in speaking out and denouncing their past.

On Wednesday, the Vatican Court will decide whether to sentence a priest who allegedly committed sexual abuse at a Vatican youth seminary before his ordination.

This trial, which concerns sexual abuse allegedly committed on Vatican territory, is the first to be held in Vatican.