VATICAN CITY (CBS News)– The Vatican has condemned sexual abuse described in a Pennsylvania grand jury report and said Pope Francis is on the victims’ side. 

“The abuses described in the report are criminal and morally reprehensible,” the Vatican said Thursday in a statement. “Those acts were betrayals of trust that robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith. The Church must learn hard lessons from its past, and there should be accountability for both abusers and those who permitted abuse to occur.”

The Church expressed “shame and sorrow” while also suggesting that reforms undertaken by its leaders had sharply reduced the prevalence of clergy sex abuse since 2002. The statement said it “encourages continued reform and vigilance at all levels of the Catholic Church, to help ensure the protection of minors and vulnerable adults from harm.” 

It added that the “Holy Father understands well how much these crimes can shake the faith and the spirit of believers and 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.”

It said the victims are the pope’s “priority” and that the Church “wants to listen to them to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent.”