Rome (CNN) Pope Francis said Wednesday that his recent meeting in Ireland with eight people who suffered sex abuse by figures in the Catholic Church left a "profound mark" on him, but suggested that the right measures were being put in place to ensure such abuse cannot happen again.

Addressing the child sex abuse scandal in Ireland at his weekly Vatican address, the Pope said he had "begged the Lord for forgiveness for these sins, the scandal and the sense of betrayal."

His words came in the midst of a renewed wave of outrage regarding child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, and just three days after a visit to Ireland -- a majority Catholic country -- where he was met with protesters angry about the scandal and a smaller crowd of supporters than expected.

"My visit to Ireland, despite the great joy, also had to bear the pain and bitterness of the suffering caused in that country by various forms of abuse, even by members of the Church, and the fact that the Church authorities in the past have not always been able to adequately address these crimes," the Pope said Wednesday.

He went on to express hope that this could change, saying that "the Irish bishops have undertaken a serious path of purification and reconciliation with those who have suffered abuse" and established "strict rules" that would ensure the safety of young people.

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