The comments were made during a private conversation with Jesuits while the pope was visiting Hungary on April 29th, and were published on Tuesday in the Italian Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica.

Abuse scandals have rocked the Catholic Church in recent years, and the pope has made efforts to hold the Church hierarchy more accountable for such actions. However, the issue remains a major challenge for the pope and the Church’s reputation has been severely damaged.

During the conversation, a member of the Jesuits religious order asked Francis how it was possible to follow Jesus’ commandment to love enemies when the enemy was a sexual abuser.

“The abuser is to be condemned, indeed, but as a brother,” Francis responded. He called it “a form of loving the enemy”, but acknowledged that such an attitude was difficult to live out because of the effect abusers have on people’s lives.

“The abuser is an enemy. Each of us feels this because we empathise with the suffering of the abused … even talking to the abuser involves revulsion; it’s not easy. But they are God’s children too. They deserve punishment, but they also deserve pastoral care,” he said.

The pope’s comments have been met with mixed reactions. Some have praised his call for forgiveness and compassion, while others have criticised his willingness to offer pastoral care to those who have committed such heinous acts.

Last week, the pope praised the work of an international Vatican commission on sexual abuse prevention and encouraged it to continue its efforts, following the recent resignation of a high-profile member who accused the commission of lacking transparency.