Pope sends support to Pa. victims

The jaw-dropping charges against pedophile priests in Pennsylvania left Pope Francis awash in “shame and sorrow.”

The Holy See, breaking its silence Thursday over the horrifying allegations made public two days earlier, described the accounts of sexual predators in religious robes as “criminal and morally reprehensible.”

The massive report identified more than 300 priests accused of sexual abuse and more than 1,000 of their victims.

“The Holy Father understands well how much these crimes can shake the faith and the spirit of believers,” read the six-paragraph statement. “… Victims should know that the Pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority.”

The statement opened by denouncing the “horrible crimes” before adding that the Vatican “condemns unequivocally the sexual abuse of minors.”

But the statement also notes that the majority of the cases noted occurred before the early 2000s, when church reforms reduced the number of reported sexual abuse cases.

“These acts were betrayals of trust that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith,” the statement said. “The Church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuses to occur.”

The investigation accused high-ranking church officials of covering up allegations against the priests, who were sometimes transferred to other parishes, where the sex crimes continued with new victims. The Vatican statement called for continued vigilance within the church to prevent any recurrence of the vile abuse.

Pope Francis “reiterates the call to make every effort to create a safe environment for minors and vulnerable adults in the church and in all of society,” the statement added.