One thing you have to remember at all times when considering institutions or positions that have huge amounts of power in the world - in order to gain a position anywhere near the power base, you already have to have demonstrated beyond any doubt whatsoever that not only do you absolutely approve of the situation as it is now, you are fervently keen to ensure that it doesn't change in the slightest.
That makes my chances of making Minister Of Defence unlikely, because I happen to think that nuclear weapons are an obscenity.
If we turn that situation around to the Pope, and anyone anywhere near him - he has vast experience of the way the Catholic church works, and how it views its abusing priests, so he is not going to do or say anything to change that.
If the Pope can regard a priest abusing a child as a 'sinner', then he can wring his hands and ask for forgiveness, while his underlings will quietly re-locate the priest so he can continue abusing elsewhere, and hopefully not be found out again.
Those of us with less holy inclinations regard abusing priests as the lowest of the low, but completely understand that their unnatural lives pander to their egos and deviancies because they are surrounded by people who really believe that they can do no wrong, and should be feted and indulged at any and every opportunity.
The Pope can blame 'the devil', he can blame Mickey Mouse if he wants, the result is the same - it is nothing to do with him, so he is excused anything so tedious as taking the issue seriously, and making sure that something is actually done about it.