Pope Francis has admitted that clerics of the church have abused nuns in sexual ways and have also kept them as sex slaves.

The pope said that Pope Benedict, his predecessor, was forced to shut down an entire congregation of nuns as they were being abused by priests.

This is believed to be the first time that Pope Francis of the Vatican City has acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns.

Pope Francis said the church was attempting to address the problem but said it was still going on.

When Pope Francis was speaking to reporters, he admitted that the Church had an issue.

He said that bishops and priests had abused nuns.

The pope said the church was aware of the scandal and was working on it, adding that a number of clerics had been suspended.

The statement was made by the Pope when he was on a historic tour in the Middle East.

During his interview with the local press, the pope said, “Pope Benedict had the courage to dissolve a female congregation which was at a certain level, because this slavery of women had entered it – slavery, even to the point of sexual slavery – on the part of clerics or the founder.”

The pope said sexual abuse of the nuns was an ongoing problem, but happened largely in certain congregations and “predominantly new ones.”

The pope added, “I think it’s still taking place because it’s not as though the moment you become aware of something it goes away.”

It is said that the abuse incident happened in 2005 after Pope Benedict dissolved the female congregation.

The community was of St. Jean, which was based in France, said Alesandro Gisotti

In 2013, the Community of St. Jean admitted that priests had behaved in ways that went against chastity with several women in the order.