Pope Francis released a letter to Roman Catholics around the world Monday condemning sexual abuse by Church officials and efforts to hide it. He demanded responsibility be taken but he did not say how he might punish those involved. He also did not propose a plan to stop such wrongdoing. Francis asked forgiveness for the suffering of victims. He said all Catholics must be involved in the effort to stop abuse and attempts to hide abuse. He denounced the clergy culture that has been blamed for the crisis. Church leaders are accused of being more concerned with their self-image than the safety of children. “With shame and repentance,” Francis wrote, we admit “we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives.” He added, “We showed no care for the little ones.”