“I am very sorry”

Pope Benedict XVI. Has strongly condemned sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and expressed sympathy for the victims. (view image gallery) "I am very sorry for the pain and suffering that the victims have endured," the pope said, departing from the script of his speech at a Mass in Sydney on Saturday. "I are them that as their shepherd, I too suffer with them."Those responsible for these crimes must be brought to justice and the victims must be helped by all means, the pope continued. Before departing for Rome, Pope Benedict met with four victims of sexual abuse.

The pope expressed "shame" during Mass over sexual abuse of minors by clergy and religious. The offenses constituted a serious breach of trust and had damaged the Church's witness. They deserved unequivocal condemnation. Benedict XVI. Called on the priests, religious and seminarians present to support their bishops and cooperate with them in combating the evil. And literally: "Victims should experience solidarity and care, those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice."Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi rendered the pope's English quote "I'm deeply sorry" in Italian with a twist that literally means "I am very sad". Lombardi did not want to explain whether this was a formal apology, as victims' associations had demanded. The pope had inserted the sentence to "personally underline" his feelings. Associations call for uncomplicated compensation The Broken Rites organization, which represents abuse victims in Australia, said the pope's "sorry" was insufficient if words were not followed by action. "The pope must apologize for the way his Australian bishops covered up sexual abuse," the organization wrote in a statement on the Internet. Benedict XVI. Must ensure that court cases for compensation to victims are not obstructed by bishops, he said.

Meeting with victims Representing the many affected, Pope Benedict XVI met with. Before his departure, still with four victims of sexual abuse in Sydney. Previously, there had been rumors that the pope had refused to meet directly with those affected. Many newspapers had given much space to this rumor on Monday, painfully learning that "nothing is as old as yesterday's news".The pope waited until the end of his Australian visit to hold the meeting because he wanted to separate the ie from World Youth Day, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said, explaining the late timing of the meeting.Two men and two women, would have attended the pope's early Mass at Cathedral House in Sydney, Federico Lombardi said. At the meeting with abuse victims, the pope listened to the stories of suffering of the two women and two men and offered them consolation, according to Vatican sources.It said the hour-long meeting took place in an atmosphere of "respect, spirituality and intense emotion". With his "paternal gesture" the Pope once again wanted to show his deep sympathy for all victims of sexual abuse. The Archdiocese of Sydney said the participants in the morning meeting were selected by the church commission responsible for dealing with abuse cases. Holy Father's meeting with abuse victims shows Church's effort "to bring healing and justice to those who have been so terribly hurt by sexual abuse," he said."The Pope's words found much approval in Australia. But there was also disappointment on the part of the victims.

Handpicked Victims' associations accused the church of presenting only "hand-picked" victims to the pope and not such victims who were critical of the church's approach to sexual abuse. "There wouldn't be all the fuss and criticism if the whole [church abuse case] process was working properly," the chairman of the Broken Rites victims' organization, Chris McIsaac, told Australian radio station "ABC".

Disappointment A "slap in the face" is what Anthony Foster called meeting with victims in ABC interview. He had come to Sydney especially from London in the hope of meeting the pope. Both of Foster's daughters had been raped as little girls by a Catholic priest in Melbourne. One later took her own life; the other became addicted to alcohol and is now severely disabled after an accident. Foster literally: "They didn't even have the kindness to talk to us. We wanted the discussion so that we could move the church forward. Instead, they have treated us with extreme unkindness." Others concerned see the pope's words and gestures in a milder light. Eric Fleissig, who was regularly sexually abused by a Catholic priest between 1982 and 1985, told ABC, "Basically, the church has apologized and addressed the mistakes of the past – but a lot more needs to be done."

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Christina Cherry
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