Following damning revelations over sex abuse by pedophile priests in Chile, the entire bishops' conference of the South American country offered to step down on Friday.

The bishops put their mandates "in the hands of the Holy Father so that he may decide freely over each of us," they said at a Vatican press conference.

Pope Francis can now reject or accept their resignations on a case-by-case basis, or delay his decision.

The Church officials also asked "forgiveness for the pain caused to the victims, to the Pope, to God's people and to the country for our serious mistakes and omissions."

With 31 active bishops and three more retired ones all offering to step down, the move could result in the first such mass resignation in the history of the Catholic Church.

Read more: Pope knew about sex abuse cover-up, says Chilean victim

Watch video 00:34 Did Pope Francis help cover up a sex scandal?

'It's all slander'

The resignations come as a culmination of a long-running sex abuse scandal involving top Catholic clergy in Chile, which saw even Pope Francis spark anger from the victims with his defense of Bishop Juan Barros, who allegedly witnessed and ignored the abuse.

Chile's abuse victims have long accused the Church of trying to cover up abuse, most notably by infamous priest Fernando Karadima. In 2011, a Vatican court found the influential cleric guilty of molesting children and ordered him to retire to a "life of prayer and penitence."

According to abuse survivors, Karadima-trained priest Juan Barros protected his former mentor while climbing through Church ranks. Despite the allegations, however, Pope Francis appointed Barros bishop of Osorno, Chile, in 2015.

Watch video 00:37 Pope admits he made 'grave errors' in child abuse scandal

Francis once again triggered outrage during his visit to Chile earlier this year. Just days after meeting the victims of abuse and apologizing to them in person, he emphatically dismissed accusations against Barros.

"The day I see proof against Bishop Barros, then I will talk. There is not a single piece of evidence against him," the pope told a reporter while still in Chile. "It is all slander. Is that clear?"

Activists later came forward saying that they had provided such information directly to Francis' subordinates years earlier, receiving assurances at the time that they would be shown to the pontiff.

Read more: Papal adviser Cardinal Sean O'Malley rebukes Pope Francis for abuse comments

Pope shares the blame

Upon returning to Rome, the pontiff partially backtracked from his comments, but maintained his belief that Barros was innocent. A renowned Vatican investigator was dispatched to Chile to collect evidence.

Last month, the pope abruptly changed course and expressed "shame" for his "grave errors in judgment" in the scandal. He also summoned Chilean bishops to the Vatican for a three-day summit this week.

Earlier today, a Chilean TV station published a 2,300-page report into abuse in Chile made by Vatican investigators. In the leaked document, Pope Francis himself slammed the clergy for failing to protect children or investigate abuse.

The pope said all of the bishops were to blame and "and me first of all."

Watch video 01:59 Share Pope Francis asks Chileans for forgiveness Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2qxEQ Pope Francis asks Chileans for forgiveness after scandals

Sex abuse or 'moral lapse'

While some members of the Church were expelled from their congregations, the bishops and their subordinates "minimized of the absolute gravity of their criminal acts, attributing to them mere weakness or moral lapses," Francis wrote. Later, those same people "were then welcomed into other dioceses, in an obviously imprudent way, and given diocesan or parish jobs that gave them daily contact with minors," Francis added.

Church officials also pressured internal investigators "including the destruction of compromising documents."

5 years of Pope Francis 'Buona sera!' On March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio greeted the crowd in St. Peter's Square in the heart of Rome with a simple "good evening!" moments after the Conclave had selected him as the new pope. He thus began his term with a down-to-earth tone that has marked his stewardship of the Catholic Church ever since.

5 years of Pope Francis Reform committee 'K9' The new pontiff immediately tackled topics that the Catholic Church had been discussing before his election. He set up a nine-person cardinal conference to reform the church's organization and direction. The guiding principle: the Roman Catholic Church is not an end in itself. Instead, it should seek to spread the teachings of the Bible and bring the Vatican and its followers closer together.

5 years of Pope Francis Supporting the weak The deaths of migrants crossing from Africa to Europe are "a thorn in the heart," said Pope Francis on his first bridge building trip to Lampedusa. At the time of his visit in the summer of 2013, thousands of migrants were on the Italian island hoping to receive legal permits to continue their journey onto the European mainland.

5 years of Pope Francis Symbol of humility It aligned perfectly with his own message of the "poor church:" the picture of Pope Francis with the 30-year-old Renault 4 that he had received as a gift from a pastor in Verona. Francis reportedly wanted to drive the car, but was not allowed to due to security concerns. The symbol of modesty has endured.

5 years of Pope Francis Francis the celebrity Francis' worldly style quickly made him an icon for progressive Catholics and other Christians. Even non-Christians applauded the pope and rubbed their eyes in amazement at the contrast between Francis and his conservative and academic predecessor, Pope Benedict. After 10 months in office, Francis became the first pope to make the cover of "Rolling Stone" magazine.

5 years of Pope Francis Controversial bridge builder Francis takes his task as bridge builder very seriously. He has acted as a mediator between warring parties in civil conflicts in central Africa and Colombia and also helped bring an end to frozen relations between the US and Cuba. With an eye toward the Mexican-US border, he has also urged US President Donald Trump to build bridges rather than walls.

5 years of Pope Francis Believers and religions from all corners of the earth Francis has also tried to build bridges between confessions and religions. He prayed at the wailing wall in Jerusalem and met the Grand Mufti Mohammad Hussein. In Egypt, he visited the head of the Coptic Church, Tawadros II, and Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb. In Myanmar, he spoke to Buddhist monks and in Havanna, he met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kyrill I (pictured).

5 years of Pope Francis People person Francis spontaneously wed a couple on an airplane during a trip to Chile in January 2018. The two crew members were traveling with the pope on a flight from the capital Santiago to the northern city of Iquique. They had apparently told Francis of their plans to marry.

5 years of Pope Francis Criticism from within the church Francis' reform course has been too radical for some clerics. This poster in Rome accused Francis of showing no mercy within the church. He reportedly also has little time for dissent within the Vatican. Some church members think his course is too secular, his humility too bold, its display too media-orientated. The essence of religiosity – spirituality – some fear, could get lost in it all.

5 years of Pope Francis Sexual abuse scandal in the Church But the major challenge now faced by Francis is the problem of sexual abuse, including of minors, by church representatives. In January, the pontiff was heavily criticized for supporting Chilean Bishop Juan Barros (pictured right), accused of an abuse cover-up. On a recent trip to Ireland, the pope begged for forgiveness amid an abuse scandal there. But critics say much more is needed. Author: Jan D. Walter, Alexander Pearson



dj/msh (AP, AFP, dpa)