Pope Francis says in a preface to a clerical paedophile victim's book that "it is an absolute monstrosity, a terrible sin, which contradicts all that the Church teaches". In the Bild exclusive on the preface for Daniel Pittet's book, Francis says "some victims in the end took their lives. These deaths weigh on my heart as on my conscience and on the whole Church. I would like to express to their families my love, my pain, and ask for their forgiveness in all humility".
The pope has vowed "zero tolerance" on priestly paedophilia but victims groups have said he has not done enough, and two lay members of the Vatican's paedophilia panel have stood down.
Vatican treasurer George Bell recently returned to his native Australia to face historical paedophilia charges.
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