Is the Pope rationalizing and somewhat excusing the centuries old Catholic Church/Vatican pedo behavior when he says (paraphrasing) that this type of behavior has gone on for a long time???

Is this an attempt at rationalizing and normalizing the behavior???

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▪︎Pope compares child sex abuse to 'human sacrifice'▪︎

Pope Francis on Sunday compared the sexual abuse of children to human sacrifice as he addressed the Catholic Church's top bishops at the end of a landmark summit to tackle paedophilia.

"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 said.

"I am reminded of the cruel religious practice, once widespread in certain cultures, of sacrificing human beings – frequently children – in pagan rites," he added.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/pope-compares-child-sex-abuse-human-sacrifice-095907893.html