Pope Benedict XVI said yesterday that he was “deeply ashamed” over the sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests in the US and vowed to keep paedophiles out of the Church.

The Pope, answering questions on board his flight to Washington, addressed one of the toughest issues facing him on his US visit: the sex scandals that arose in 2002 and which forced the country’s Roman Catholic Church to pay more than $2 billion (£1 billion) in abuse settlements.

“It is a great suffering for the Church in the United States and for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen,” the Pope said. “It’s difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betrayed in this way their mission to give healing, to give the love of God to these children,” he said. “I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future,” he added. He promised that the Church would do everything possible to screen candidates for the priesthood “so that only really sound persons can be admitted”.

“We will absolutely exclude paedophiles from the sacred ministry. It is more important to have good priests than many priests. We will do everything possible to heal this wound.”

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The Pope’s visit was the first by a pontiff to the US since the scandal erupted. Six US dioceses have declared bankruptcy in recent years because of its financial toll.

In February 2004 US bishops issued a report on abuse of children by priests stretching over 52 years, beginning in 1950. It found that 10,667 people had accused priests of child sexual abuse between 1950 and 2002.

In January 2002 The Boston Globe reported that 130 people had been abused by John Geoghan, a former priest, over three decades.