Sexual abuse of children is not just a Catholic Church problem, and other institutions should take steps to deal with such "wickedness" in their ranks, the Vatican said today.
The Vatican's chief spokesman, Fr Federico Lombardi, also said the record $660 million (€480 million) settlement between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and victims of sexual abuse was an attempt to "close a painful chapter and look forward".
"The church is above all clearly pained by the suffering of the victims and their families, by the deep wounds caused by the grave and inexcusable behaviour of some of its members," Fr Lombardi said. "It has decided to commit itself in every way to avoid a repetition of such wickedness," he said.
Fr Lombardi said other organised religions and institutions should also deal with paedophilia as publicly as the Catholic Church has been forced to by various scandals.
"The problem of the abuse of childhood and its adequate protection certainly does not regard only the [Catholic] church, but also many other institutions and it is right that these take the necessary decisions as well," he said.
Fr Lombardi said the church was aware of its educational responsibilities to youth and intended to be "a protagonist in the struggle against paedophilia", which he said was on the rise worldwide.
Pope Benedict, who was elected in 2005, has taken a tougher stand on sexual abuse in the church than his predecessor.
Last year he disciplined Rev Marcial Maciel Degollado, the 86-year-old founder of the conservative Legionaries of Christ, who had been accused of sexually abusing boys decades ago.