Pope Benedict XVI says he will use his visit to Australia to apologise for sexual abuse by priests and to examine how the Church can "prevent, heal and reconcile".
He told reporters travelling with him on a plane to Sydney that the function of being a priest was incompatible with sexual abuse. The pontiff is set to attend the World Youth Day, a major Catholic festival in the city that is expected to draw more than 200,000 young people. However the 10-day visit comes amid growing calls by victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and brothers for the Pope to apologise. False alarm as Sydney fly-past sparks attack confusion ...
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Pope calls on US to resolve conflicts diplomatically ... Just a few days ago, a 25-year-old sexual abuse case involving a Sydney priest was reopened after Cardinal George Pell, the head of the Catholic church in Australia, denied he tried to cover up the abuse.
(Deutsche Welle)
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