The French Catholic Church agreed on Monday to financially compensate victims of abuse.

Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, head of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF), said in a speech that the church has recognized its "institutional responsibility" and decided to go "on a path of recognition and reparation that paves the way for victims to get the possibility of a mediation and a compensation.''

A report had earlier revealed large-scale sex abuse within the French Catholic Church. The report, which was released by an independent commission, estimated that around 330,000 children were abused over 70 years by priests or other figures in the church.

'Disgust and horror'

"We felt disgust and horror inside us when we realized how much suffering so many people had lived and were still living,'' Moulins-Beaufort said.

The 120 members of the CEF meeting at the Catholic shrine of Lourdes decided what measures to take after several days debating their response to the report behind closed doors.

The bishops acknowledged the church's responsibility to offer financial compensation as the commission "strongly suggested that path" and because "worshippers full of shame were expecting it from us,'' Moulins-Beaufort said.

The church, however, did not provide details on the amount of compensation that will be offered.

Church to sell assets to pay compensation

In order to finance the compensation, the French Catholic Church will sell its real estate assets or possibly secure a loan, bishops said.

The report published last month described "systemic'' coverup of abuses by the Catholic Church, and called on the church to respect the rule of law in France. The estimates of abuse were based on a broader research by France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research into sexual abuse of children in the country.

lc/fb (AP, AFP)