PARIS (AP) — Three of the numerous victims of an alleged French pedophile priest have asked Pope Francis to help them understand why Catholic Church officials failed to protect them.

In a letter, dated Monday, that appeared on a Vatican-curated blog, the victims wrote that "we have no spirit of vengeance. We want to understand."

The victims were boy scouts in the 1980s when allegedly molested by Bernard Preynat. The scandal gained attention this month when French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin and five others were handed preliminary charges for failure to denounce a crime and endangering others. Preynat was charged in January with sexual aggression of minors.

The case arose years before Barbarin was named Lyon's cardinal. He's said he was convinced the priest reformed in 2007-2008 when they met and denies "covering up."