Pope Begs Forgiveness for Child Abuse

ROME, June 11, 2010— -- Pope Benedict XVI today asked for forgiveness from God and from the victims of sexual abuse by priests, "particularly the abuse of the little ones."

Speaking in Italian to a sea of 15,000 white-clad priests attending Mass in St. Peter's square to celebrate the end of the Year of the Priest, the pope addressed the scandal of abuse by priests at the beginning of his homily.

"We too insistently beg forgiveness from God and from the persons involved, while promising to do everything possible to ensure that such abuse will never occur again," Benedict said.

The pope has publicly expressed sorrow and condemnation on a number of occasions in recent weeks for the sexual abuse of minors on the part of priests, but voicing regret at a celebration of priests was especially forceful and symbolic.

Benedict said it should come as no surprise that the sex abuse scandal that has shaken the church in recent months came during the year especially devoted to the priesthood.

"It was to be expected that this new radiance on the priesthood would not be pleasing to the 'enemy,'" Benedict told the priests, referring to Satan. "He would have rather preferred to see it disappear, so that God would ultimately be driven out of the world.

"And so it happened that, in this very year of joy for the sacrament of the priesthood, the sins of priests came to light."

Although the Year of the Priest, which was meant to celebrate the vocation to the priesthood and the good work done by priests worldwide, was tarnished by the abuse scandal that erupted in February, the Pope said today the occasion hasn't been ruined by those events, which were instead a call to action.

"Let us look upon all that happened as a summons to purification, as a task which we bring to the future and which makes us acknowledge and love all the more the great gift we have received from God," he said.