It's what Christopher Hitchens calls the "no child's behind left" stance of the Roman Catholic church on the issue...

Yannis, Indianapolis/Athens, Greece/USA

What the Pope has done is to look at the question in the face and meet some of those abused by priests - a very good step. It shouldn't be forgotten either that as Cardinal he spearheaded the Vatican response to these problems: this involved dismissing from the priesthood not only anyone whom the civil authorities convicted of abuse but also those who were accused, whom the civil authorities lacked evidence to convict or even bring to trial, but about whom the Church authorities had well-founded suspicion. Most child protection professionals would see such a comprehensive process of dismissal as positve.
And let's not forget that celibacy of priests is not the issue. The average profile of a child abuser is of a married man, related either naturally or by marriage to his victims, and from a whole spectrum of professions - teachers, doctors, nurses, policemen etc. The real question we need to ask is, what is wrong with our civilisation and humanity that this problem is so widespread?

David, Rome, Italy

One priest abusing one child is one too many, but until we have statistics for abuse by men (there are no women priests)as a whole, then these statistics themselves broken down into each profession - teachers, doctors etc - and then into the unmarried and the married a very unbalanced and unjust picture will continue to be given of Catholic priests. Has the BMA or the NUT aplologised in this country to anyone for any such abuse by their members? Have married people apologised to the unmarried for the trouble and expense of looking after children abused by their parents? A continued simplistic reporting of this issue does us all harm and above all does harm to those priests who are men of integrity.

Alice J McCabe, Doncaster, UK

Jesus says one way to identify the true church is by the fruits.A tree is known by the fruits it produce. The Catholic Church will have to answer for Inquisiton, Galilieo, Father Martin Luther, dividing the world into two for Portugal and Spain etc...
Judgement Day will be D-Day for all the world.

Tan, Singapore, Singapore

To Dereck Clifton I say, "Bravo!" Word for word I agree and we should all agree. A failing empire, yes, all hype and and by design and advertising campaign.
Thanks
JM

Joanne, Coventry, RI

Has anyone been ex-communicated for these serious crimes?

margie , victoria, australia

This paedophila is a tragic crime that occurs in many professional and and family relationships including teachers, doctors, social workers, nurses, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. To view it strictly as a consequence of priestly celebacy is intellectually dishonest and is not supported by the statics of the number of priests committing this acts versus the number of priests faithfully living out their professed vocation.

John, Omaha, USA

GOD Almighty has created our sexual organs and desire to be satisfied in the safe proper way( heterosexual marriage).
This enforced invented celibacy among priests/Catholics is quite wrong and unnatural and against the natural human desire?
Any one opposing human nature and needs will suffer and will get involved with children,relationship with women in the church or he will leave the priesthood completely?

Dr A.Majid Katme, London, UK

These people should have their sexual organs removed if they are to be left in society or better still sentenced to death which is still not enough justice..........They hide behind religion to carry out these hideous crimes on kids who cannot defend themselves and there are those who clearly know what goes on but do not say anything...they should be punished to....all of them!!

sick of hearing these disgusting stories....can no one bring any justice to the table...an apology is nothing....action must be taken

C. Kroustis, London, UK

When young men enter the Catholic priesthood it is surely recognised that some - probably most - find it difficult or even impossible to supress their sexual urges and, knowing this, they should always be watched carefully and not ever allowed to be exposed to situations that might lead to the abuse of, possble, very young people - mostly males.This, it is realised, presents a problem to the R.C. Church as the "WHO WILL WATCH THE WATCHERS" syndrome rears its head but there is no short answer to this problem of temptation for it has been around for centuries and has only, in recent years - since society became more tolerant of sexual deviancy and the media colaborated in this because it sold supporting advertising and created something sleazy to focus on....we are surely all to blame - not the poor old decrepid Pope - who is desperately trying to paper over the cracks in his faling empire.

Derek Clifton, Andover, Hampshire, England

In Australia our Prime Minister apologised to the indigenous Australians for the abuse and crimes committed on them over the generations. Pope Benedict XIV did not even apologise to the victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests. How much character and credibility does a Pope, a Catholic church and a Vatican have when it does not even apologise. All people are equal before the law. Those Catholic priests should have been prosecuted and imprisoned.

Helen NSW Australia.

HELEN, NSW, AUSTRALIA

When I was 7, three brothers from the same family were abused by the Parish Priest. I only heard the details when I was about 14, when I mentioned that I wished Father Anthony could come back as I hadn't liked either of the priests since then. [He didn't have a yen for small girls so I was safe.] My Gran told me what he had done. It wasn't just the Church that covered up the crimes. His housekeeper, who reported him was ostracised by the community, and rumours went round that she was a "woman scorned". She left the area. The boys were shunned as liars, and stones thrown through their windows. They had to move. I gather the Church helped them move away. Father Anthony was packed off to do Missionary work in Africa, no doubt to carry on abusing young boys. No-one informed the Police. It was all "handled" by the Catholic Church. It seems that the innocent got punished, and the guily got away with it. Saying "Sorry" isn't enough. They need to weed out all the paedophiles.

Beryl, Windsor, England

The Popes' comments make it appear that the pedophiles were confined to the US. Excuse me, but it was a worldwide phenomena and most dastardly in Ireland of all places. Huge sums were paid to Irish victims.

I would be convinced of his penitence if he went to each of the countries where children were victimized and personally listened to them and gave a personal apology.

henry cowan, linthicum, USA/MD

At last, some public acknowledgement by the Pope of the serious sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests on innocent victims. This is a positive step; but shouldn't he be condemning senior figures in the Church who allowed priests identified as paedophiles to remain in pastoral duties?

Paedophile priests will always be a significant problem for the Catholic Church. Many young men who enter the priesthood must fight against the explicable sexual urges that they feel. Of course, there will also be a minority of paedophiles who will join the priesthood precisely because the work brings them into contact with vulnerable children.

Des, Edinburgh,

I really don't understand why after all these years of perversion by priests and approx. 2 billion paid out by the Catholic Church in reparations that it finally took one man to say "Im sorry".

Jay Alexander, Columbus, NC