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20th July, 2008
SYDNEY: Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday he was “deeply sorry” about 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.
“I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy … in this country,” Benedict told Australian bishops and other seminarians at a Mass.
“I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured and I assure them as their pastor that I too share in their suffering,” he said.
“Those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice.”
Benedict has expressed regret before about the 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.
But the language of Saturday’s apology was stronger than the pope’s comments in the United States.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the pope changed the original text, adding the words that he was deeply sorry because he wanted to “personally underline” that he felt close to the victims.
Victim support groups wanted more—a commitment to stop what they allege is the ongoing cover-up of the scale of the problem and for the church to stop fighting compensation claims in the courts.
“It is just a drop in a bucket—a bucket full of tears that all of us who work with victims have been sitting with for 25 to 30 years in Australia,” said Helen Last from the victims’ group In Good Faith and Associates.
Anthony Foster, the father of two Australian girls who were allegedly raped by a Catholic priest as children, has been publicly seeking a meeting with Benedict during his visit. He said senior church officials had repeatedly apologized but offered no practical assistance to victims.
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