(CNN) Between 2,900 and 3,200 pedophile clergymen have worked in the French Catholic Church since the 1950s, the president of an independent commission on sexual abuse told CNN Sunday.

"We had to cross historical, sociological, medical and psychiatric perspectives. We had to call upon skills in the area of child protection, social work, questions of abuse and also bring to bear skills in the area of theology and law," said Jean-Marc Sauvé, ahead of the release of the commission's final report on Tuesday.

Read in Le Monde earlier today:

• Jean-Marc Sauvé called the 2900-3200 range "a minimal estimate"
  
• About 115,00 priests, in total, were exercising during the 70 years between 1950 to date