Rome (CNN) Pope Francis has told those who abuse minors to hand themselves in to civil justice authorities and "prepare for divine justice," in his strongest words to date on the sex abuse crisis roiling the Roman Catholic Church.

In his annual speech to the Vatican's Curia on Friday morning, the Pope also thanked the media for exposing the sex abuse crisis and encouraged survivors to speak out.

"I myself would like to give heartfelt thanks to those media professionals who were honest and objective and sought to unmask these predators and to make their victims' voices heard," the Pope said.

"The Church asks that people not be silent... since the greater scandal in this matter is that of cloaking the truth," he said.

"To those who abuse minors I would say this -- convert and hand yourself over to human justice and prepare for divine justice."