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In February, the United Nations released a report criticizing Italy for “the numerous cases of children who have been sexually abused by religious personnel of the Catholic church,” and “the low number of investigations and criminal prosecutions.”

Mexico

Mexico has the second largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil, but only four priests in the country have been convicted of sexual abuse in the past decade. In part, as in the United States, this is because of restrictive statutes of limitations.

A deep Catholic heritage and weak reporting laws — which only require clergy to notify civil authorities of abuse if it occurs during religious worship or on church property — also play a part, experts say.

“In Mexico we don’t have a lot of cases denounced, but we have an estimation of about 500 cases that could be prosecuted,” said Adalberto Méndez, a human rights attorney in Mexico and a member of Ending Clergy Abuse, a victims’ advocacy group.

“This is a really Catholic country,” Mr. Méndez added. “The authorities don’t want problems with the church.”

Ireland

Searing government reports exposing the scope and severity of the abuse problem in Ireland — which relied on the Catholic church to run schools, orphanages and other social service organizations for decades — have undermined the country’s trust in the church. Ninety-three priests and brothers have been convicted there, according to BishopAccountability.org.

“The government would have bowed down to the church” said Marie Collins, a survivor of clergy sexual abuse in Ireland, and a former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, a group created to advise Pope Francis.