Sunday, July 20, 2008

Pope apologises for sex abuse in Australia

The Pope has apologised to victims of child sex abuse by Roman Catholic clergy in Australia, describing their acts as evil and a grave betrayal of trust that has disgraced the church.

Benedict XVI said he was deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured, and added that those responsible for "these evils" must be brought to justice.

Benedict has expressed regret before about the clergy abuse scandal that has rocked the church in recent years, notably during a visit to the United States in April when he also met privately with a small number of victims.

There was no immediate word whether Benedict would meet with victims of clergy abuse during his Australia trip, which ends on Monday.

Support groups for victims of church abuse in Australia accuse the church of covering up the scale of the problem and fighting compensation claims.

The pontiff is in Australia to lead hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in the church's World Youth Day, a global celebration meant to inspire a new generation of Catholics.

He will lead a Mass tomorrow before an estimated crowd of more than 200,000 that will mark the culmination of the World Youth Day festival.
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