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SYDNEY: Pope Benedict XVI is expected to apologize to victims of
sexual abuse by clergy when he visits Australia for World Youth Day
next week, the leader of the country’s Catholics said Monday.
Cardinal George Pell said the Pope had expressed
shame and regret over the scandal of pedophile priests during his
visit to the United States earlier this year and it was likely he
would do the same in Australia.
“He handled it very well in the United States
and I anticipate he’ll do the same here,” Pell told public
radio.
Australian bishops issued an apology for sexual
abuse by Catholic clergy in 2002, and Pell has said Papal comments
on the issue would be “a welcome contribution.”
“We’re not proud,” he said last month.
“We faced it, I think pretty well, for quite some time now, and I
think it would be appropriate for the Pope to say something on that
score.”
Benedict is due to arrive in Australia on Sunday
and take three days vacation before his official welcome to Sydney
at a harborside ceremony for the start of World Youth Day
celebrations.
Hundreds of thousands of foreign and local
Catholics are expected to attend the six-day event, which will
conclude on July 20 with a Papal Mass.
The cost to taxpayers and disruption of normal
life in Sydney have led to complaints about the celebrations, but
Pell said they were supported by the vast majority of residents.
“We’ve had access to polling and it said
overwhelmingly Australians and Sydneysiders were in favor of World
Youth Day.
“Only about 10 percent or 11 percent felt that
they were strongly opposed.”
Pell also dismissed concerns expressed by civil
rights groups about special powers enabling police to arrest anyone
deemed to be “causing annoyance” to pilgrims.
“We’ve asked for no extra rules or
regulations, it’s a complete storm in a tea cup,” he said.
-- AFP
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