Archbishop Eamon Martin has apologised over the failure of the Catholic Church to protect people in its care from sexual abuse at the hands of predatory priests. 

The head of the Irish Catholic Church said abuse victims were 'uppermost in my thoughts' as he prepares to attend a major safeguarding summit at the Vatican this week.

In the run-up to the summit, Archbishop Martin has been meeting with abuse survivors across the four provinces of Ireland to hear their views. 

He said that abuse survivors had asked that the Catholic Church 'openly express atonement and say "sorry"' for what they suffered. 

'In recent weeks I have met with some of you and heard about how you were hurt and violated, and about how your young lives were turned into a nightmare by people who betrayed the sacred trust that you and your families had placed in them,' he said.

'I am truly sorry for what was done to you.

'I've learned also about how abuse devastated your confidence in yourself and others, your relationships, your family, and in some cases your spiritual, emotional, mental and physical well-being. Abuse broke your heart and spirit and sometimes you couldn't tell anyone for years.

'And then - when all you wanted was to be believed and supported by the Church, and your abuser to be stopped from harming others - there were too many failures to listen, to understand, and to do what was right and just.

'I am truly sorry for these failures.'

The summit, which starts on Thursday, was convened by Pope Francis and is bringing together over a hundred presidents of bishops' conferences for four days of intensive discussion on preventing clergy abuse. 

The Associated Press reports that organisers of the summit will meet with survivors of clergy abuse to hear their concerns, although they will not address the summit directly. 

The survivor meeting is being coordinated by Chilean abuse victim Juan Carlos Cruz, who told The Associated Press he wanted 'constructive and open dialogue' and for bishops to stop pleading ignorance about abuse.

The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, will also be joining the summit. 

In a letter to priests on Tuesday, he asked for prayers. 

'These will be difficult and painful days and I need your prayers,' he said.