The Pope apologises to victims of abuse by Catholic clergy as at least 500
protesters take to the streets over the pontiff's stance against contraception
and homosexuality.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (JULY 19, 2008) HOST BROADCASTER -
Pope Benedict XVI apologised on Saturday (July 19) for sexual abuse
in the Catholic Church in Australia, as hundreds of people rallied in defiance
of the Pope's anti-condom and anti-homosexual stance.
    The Pope's comments come on the fifth day of World Youth day -- the
Catholic Church's largest gathering of young people. 
     In a morning mass the Pope told the congregation that those
responsible for abuse should be brought to justice. 
    "I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have
endured," he said.
    "These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust,
deserve unequivocal condemnation," he said.     
    "Those responsible for these evils must be brought to
justice." 
    The comments are believed to be the first time the Pope has
specifically apologised for sexual abuse by clergy and state clearly that
abusers should be brought to justice. 
    Sexual abuse by Catholic clergy has overshadowed the Pope's visit to
Sydney, with the Church reopening a 25-year-old abuse case in Australia only
days before the pontiff arrived. 
    The pope said abuse by clergy had damaged the Church. 
    "I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all
felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy and religious in
this country," he said.
    "I ask all of you to support and assist your bishops and to work
together with them in combating this evil." 
    The Pope confronted sexual abuse in the Church in the United States
during a visit to Washington in April, meeting victims and vowing to keep
paedophiles out of the priesthood. 
    But the Pope's words in Australia were stronger than those he used in
the United States, where the biggest of the scandals broke there in 2002 where
Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law resigned in disgrace that year. 
    The apology, however, was not enough for victims of sexual abuse and
their families in Australia. 
    "This is only an apology, it is only words, it does not commit all
the resources of the church to this problem," said Anthony Foster, whose
two daughters were raped by a Melbourne priest. 
    Victims' group Broken Rites says victims need to be given the
opportunity for their cases to go through court, instead of only going through
the church system. 
    The group says there have been 107 convictions for Church abuse in
Australia, but that there could be thousands of victims as only a few cases go
to court. 
    Victims of Church abuse in Australia have been calling on the Pope to
issue a public apology, during his visit to Sydney for World Youth Day, and to
implement an open and accountable system of investigating abuse claims. They
say the Catholic Church in Australia continues to try and cover-up abuse. 
    The Catholic Church in Australia has paid millions of dollars in
compensation, but has capped individual payments to tens of thousands of
dollars, with many payments undisclosed due to confidentiality settlements.

    Victims say the compensation payments are inadequate. 
    Meantime, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walked across the Sydney
Harbour bridge towards a candlelight vigil with the Pope at Sydney's biggest
racecourse. 
    At the same time, at least 500 protesters marched in Sydney wearing
costumes condemning the Pope and the Catholic Church for its stance against
contraception and homosexuality.
    Protesters wore devil and witch costumes, some dressed as drag queens,
and chanted "The Pope is wrong put a condom on."
    Some held placards which read: "There is no God" and
"F@$k homophobic religions"
    The protesters marched directly across the path of pilgrims making
their way to the vigil, however police kept the two groups separated to avoid
clashes. 
    It was reported, however, that one pilgrim punched a protester in the
face. 
    About one hundred people took part in a "kiss-in" of same-sex
couples in support of homosexuality, taking a stand against the Pope. 
    Anti-protest laws imposed for the Pope's Sydney visit this week, which
could see protesters arrested for annoying Catholic pilgrims, were ruled
unconstitutional by a court on Tuesday (July 15). 
    Under the laws, protesters could have been arrested or fined up to
A$5,500 Australian dollars ($5,340 U.S. dollars) for wearing anti-Catholic
T-shirts or for handing out condoms. 
    The Pope will hold a mass with an expected 500,000 pilgrims on Sunday
(July 20), the last day of the six-day Catholic festival.
    World Youth Day was the brainchild of the late Pope John Paul II who
thought a festival which included not only masses and religious events like
the stations of the cross, but also music and dance concerts would revitalise
the world's Catholic youth.