Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, was talking about the lessons he learned from attending a worldwide summit held for senior Roman Catholic bishops on tackling the global problem.
He told the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) he attended the global conference in Rome in February, along with around 200 other delegates.
Cardinal Nichols said the church in this country had already implemented some of the measures discussed there.
Speaking about the Catholic Church in this country, the lead counsel for the inquiry Brian Altman QC asked: "Did you come away thinking first of all, we haven't done enough?"
Cardinal Nichols said in some aspects, that was right, citing the example of a bishop from Puerto Rico who encouraged the topic of child safeguarding to be spoken about in every parish.
Cardinal Nichols said: "I think we should do more in the general life of our parishes to set the task of safeguarding in a more positive context.
"I think the experience in the Catholic community in this country over the last 20 years has been one of struggling to cope with the presence of evil embodied in its members, which has shocked it to the core."
He added: "I think getting the task of safeguarding understood in an utterly positive way is something we still have to achieve."
Mr Altman asked if the cardinal believed there was still much to improve in 2019, despite major inquiries held in 2001 and 2007.
The Archbishop of Westminster, aged 73, replied: "I do think there's plenty to be achieved.
"I would affirm absolutely that the culture of the Catholic Church today is radically different from 2001 or even 2007, but I do think there's much, much more to achieve."
Mr Altman asked: "Do you accept the general proposition that the wheels turn rather slowly in the Catholic Church in England and Wales?"
The cardinal replied: "I would be reluctant to accept that. I do think we have a rhythm of work.
"This is not a top-down organisation, we have to work by consent. I think we do reasonably well."
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