London, Sept. 18: The Pope Benedict XVI said on Saturday he was deeply ashamed of the “unspeakable” sexual abuse of children by priests, telling the British faithful during a Mass in Westminster Cathedral that he hoped the church’s humiliation would help victims heal.
Pope Benedict also said he hoped that the church would be able to use its contrition to purify itself from the “sins” of its ministers and be able to renew its commitment to educating the young. He confronted the abuse scandal head-on during his homily, a day after six people were arrested in an alleged terrorist plot against him. The sex abuse scandal has clouded Pope’s four-day visit to UK, which has a centuries-old history of anti-Catholic sentiment.