There has been many issues within the Catholic Church in which priests have been accused and convicted for sexually abusing other members of the church and concealing it.

On Jan. 3, Pope Francis released a statement addressing and confirming some of these scandals.

“The Church’s credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes, but even more by the efforts made to deny or conceal them,” Pope Francis said in a statement. “This has led to a growing sense of uncertainty, distrust and vulnerability among the faithful.

“Let us try to break the vicious circle of recrimination, undercutting and discrediting, by avoiding gossip and slander in the pursuit of a path of prayerful and contrite acceptance of our limitations and sins.”

It has taken Pope Francis some time to get this statement out and to the public. These scandals have been going on long before his time, yet there has been no apology or real change in behavior.

The trust of Catholics has been broken. While one statement from the Pope might help with acknowledging these issues, there is no real way to ensure these acts will cease to cross the clergy’s minds.

According to The New York Times, “The pope’s admission opens a new front in the long-running scandal of sexual abuse by priests, recognizing nuns who have tried for years to call attention to their plight. With the #MeToo movement going strong, and Francis under pressure for neglecting the victims of child abuse, the nuns’ pleas have gained traction.”

This is not a new issue. Many times these issues have been swept under the rug and ignored. Cases like these can be traced back all the way back to the 1990s.

According to a Sister who spoke to AP news, when she spoke out about her assault to another priest, all she got was an apology “on behalf of the church.” More action should have been taken on issues like this than just a simple apology. Especially on things that victims have to carry with them for the rest of their lives.

In most of the cases that have been spoken out about, those that are dedicated to the word of God have been assaulted during their confessions. Going to confession is a place where they’re supposed to be able to let go of their burdens, not leave with another one.