In his first public statement on the sex abuse scandal, Pope Francis apologized for the Catholic Church’s failure to protect victims. About 330,000 children were abused by members of the French church over the past 70 years, a report released Tuesday revealed.

In response to the scandal concerning the sexual abuse of children by priests, Pope Francis called on all church officials to take the necessary actions to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future.

In a letter, the pope expressed his closeness and support of French priests and called on Catholics to safeguard the church.

A report released in France revealed that around 3,000 priests and other individuals associated with the Catholic Church were sexually abusing children. The scope of the abuse revealed a massive scope and impact on the church.

Like other countries, the French church had to face up to the shameful secrets of its past. According to a report released Tuesday, it had systematically covered up the sexual abuse of minors by priests.

A report released Thursday by France’s bishops detailed how many people were abused by priests and other church figures over the past decades. It said the abuse amounted to 330,000 French victims.

The estimates were based on a comprehensive study conducted by France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research. The commission urged the church to swiftly act against the perpetrators and to compensate the victims. It also called for the Catholic Church to help victims.

The Vatican’s spokesman said Tuesday that Pope Francis was “deeply affected” by the findings of the report on the clergy sex abuse scandal.

In May 2019, Pope Francis issued a law that requires Catholic priests and teachers to report sexual abuse allegations against them to church authorities. He said in June that every bishop must take responsibility for sex abuses.