Pope Francis on Sunday said that the devil is trying to divide and attack the Catholic Church, as the Vatican wrestles with a series of sexual abuse scandals amid accusations that Francis covered for priests accused of sexual misconduct.

Francis said the church should also be more aware of “its guilt, its mistakes and abuses.”

"[The church must be] saved from the attacks of the malign one, the great accuser and at the same time be made ever more aware of its guilt, its mistakes, and abuses committed in the present and the past," Francis said from his balcony in Rome, Reuters reports.

He implored Catholics worldwide to pray every day throughout October for the Church to prevail through the devil's assault.