"I think of the immense suffering caused by the abuse of children, especially within the church and by her ministers,
Above all I express my deep sorrow to the innocent victims of these unspeakable crimes, along with my hope that the power of Christ's grace, his sacrifice of reconciliation, will bring deep healing and peace to their lives."
These words are part of the 'apology' from Pope Benedict XVI for the sexual abuse and cover ups, committed over decades, by his church and priests on young people.
It is difficult to imagine how 'Christ's grace' will bring 'deep healing and peace to their lives' when such suffering was caused by men who were purporting to be spreading his word
One demonstrator against the Pope's visit to the UK, who had herself been abused as a child responded by saying:
"An apology is what a schoolboy does when he kicks a football through a window. What we need is for the Pope to release all the files on predator priests,"
It is hard to disagree with such reasoning but I fear the real truth will always remain hidden within the walls of the Vatican.
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