Pope Francis has sent out a letter to the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics condemning the "atrocities" of child sex abuse and Church cover ups.
Last week a grand jury report detailed seven decades of abuse in the US state of Pennsylvania which showed more than 1,000 minors had been abused by 300 priests.
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The report found evidence of a systematic cover up within the Church.
Pope Francis' letter calls for an end to the "culture of death" in the Church.
In the 2,000 word letter, the Pope addresses the US scandal directly and admits the Church's failure to act sooner.
The Vatican says it's the first time a Pope has addressed a letter on sex abuse to the entire Catholic population.
Newshub
