The Pontiff has said he's been given reliable data which shows 1 in 50 priests have committed child abuse.
In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica Pope Francis said abuse was like 'leprosy' within the Church.
He said the information he'd seen suggests abuse is not just by priests but also Bishops and Cardinals.
The Holy Father said he found the situation "intolerable" and would "confront it with the severity it demands".
"Among the 2% who are paedophiles are priests, bishops and cardinals. Others, more numerous, know but keep quiet. They punish without giving the reason." He said.
If correct the figure would mean around 8,000 priests are paedophiles worldwide out of a total number of 414,000.
But The Vatican has said some of the comments could not be attributed "with certainty" to the Pope.
Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the newspaper had tried to "manipulate naive readers".
Last year Pope Francis made Vatican laws against child abuse tougher and earlier this month he met six victims of abuse in Rome and begged for their forgiveness.
During a mass with them he said: "I feel the gaze of Jesus and I ask for the grace to weep, the grace for the Church to weep and make reparation for her sons and daughters who betrayed their mission, who abused innocent persons.
"Today, I am very grateful to you for having travelled so far to come here.
"This is what causes me distress and pain at the fact that some priests and bishops, by sexually abusing minors, violated their innocence and their own priestly vocation.
"It is something more than despicable actions. It is like a sacrilegious cult, because these boys and girls had been entrusted to the priestly charism in order to be brought to God."
There's been widespread criticism of the Catholic Church amid allegations several accusations of abuse were covered up and weren't investigated.
In the same interview Pope Francis said he needed time to find the solution to the problems facing priests who are unable to marry.
"The problem certainly exists but it is not on a large scale. It will need time but the solutions are there and I will find them." He said.