At the Vatican, Pope Francis opened a month-long international gathering of bishops on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis condemned clericalism—which refers to the extreme deference to members of the clergy—in his remarks.

Pope Francis: “Clericalism is a perversion and is the root of many evils in the church. We must humbly ask forgiveness for this and, above all, create the conditions so that it is not repeated.”

Meanwhile, a small group of clerical abuse survivors demonstrated near the staged official meeting, demanding their voices be heard and accusing church officials of hosting delegates who were involved in covering up abuse.