Portugal's Catholic Church asks abuse victims for pardon

Portugal's Catholic Church on Friday asked victims of child sexual abuse by the clergy for forgiveness, following the publication of an independent report that set out the extent of the offences.

"It is with sorrow that we once again ask forgiveness from all the victims of sexual assaults within the Catholic Church in Portugal," the bishops' conference said in a statement after a meeting in Fatima, central Portugal.

The church would make a "public gesture" to ask forgiveness in Fatima in April, the statement added. A memorial to the victims was also being planned.

Portugal's bishops have promised concrete measures in response to the damning report on child sexual abuse, which last month reported that clergy had abused nearly 5,000 children since 1950.

The Portuguese inquiry, commissioned by the Church in the staunchly Catholic country, published its findings after hearing from more than 500 victims last year.

For years, said the report, the hierarchy in the Portuguese Church had systematically covered up the abuse.