Transcript for Pope Francis addresses sexual abuse report

I'm Carol Roddy at the foreign desk where Pope Francis is finally speaking out almost a week. After that shocking report. On abuse by priests in Pennsylvania some 1000 kids abused by. Perhaps 300 priests over the span of decades and the Pope is finally speaking out in what is a pretty extraordinary and rare letter for the Pope addressed to the people of god. It he says we showed no care for the little ones we abandoned them and it comes as the church is grappling. With scandal after scandal around the world and the Pope himself to struggle to respond to these in fact it actually this one. Threatens to overshadow his trip. To Ireland at the end of the week in his letter the Pope acknowledges. That none of his apologies or apologies to anyone in the church will do anything for the victims of all of these abuses but he is once again vowing. To try to change the culture within the church that allow these abuses to take place and for them to be covered up. I'm cured Friday at the four desk you're watching ABC news.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.