VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Sunday compared the sexual abuse of children to human sacrifice.

Addressing to the Catholic Church's top bishops at the end of a landmark summit to tackle paedophilia, Pope said, Our work has made us realise once again that the gravity of the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors is, and historically has been, a widespread phenomenon in all cultures and societies.” He further added, "I am reminded of the cruel religious practice, once widespread in certain cultures, of sacrificing human beings - frequently children - in pagan rites.”

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Pope Francis was speaking after a four-day meeting which he had opened by calling for "concrete measures" on tackling priests and handing 114 senior bishops a road map to shape the debate on how to stop a global scandal. He said "If in the Church there should emerge even a single case of abuse - which already in itself represents an atrocity - that case will be faced with the utmost seriousness".

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The ongoing scandals have hit countries around the world, with recent cases affecting Australia, Chile, Germany and the United States. Pope further said those priests who prey on children are "tools of Satan".