Sydney, Australia, Jul 21, 2008 / 17:50 pm
Bishop Anthony Fisher, auxiliary bishop of Sydney and coordinator of World Youth Day 2008, said Pope Benedict XVI’s “heartfelt” apology for sexually abusive clerics in Australia is a “challenge” to the Catholic Church that will add impetus to the Church’s efforts to improve.
On Saturday Pope Benedict said he was “deeply sorry” for the pain and suffering victims of clerical sexual abuse had endured, the Australian Associated Press reports.
“These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation,” the Pope said at the consecration of the altar at St. Mary’s Cathedral. More than 3,400 people, including Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell, bishops, seminarians, and religious and school groups, attended the consecration.
“Those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice. It is an urgent priority to promote a safer and more wholesome environment, especially for young people,” he continued.