I also acknowledge, with you, the shame and humiliation which all of us have suffered because of these sins; and I invite you to offer it to the Lord with trust that this chastisement will contribute to the healing of the victims, the purification of the Church and the renewal of her age-old commitment to the education and care of young people.
I express my gratitude for the efforts being made to address this problem responsibly, and I ask all of you to show your concern for the victims and solidarity with your priests."
This extract from Pope Benedict XVI's homily during the Eucharistic Celebration at Westminster Cathedral today is his most outspoken apology thus far in Britain. He expressed deep sorrow to the innocent victims of what he called these "unspeakable crimes". But the Pope also accepted that the Catholic Church as a whole had failed when he spoke of the "shame and humiliation all of us have suffered". That will be seen by many as coming close to the equivalent of an admission of corporate guilt.
But still Pope Benedict made no mention in his address of the systematic cover-up by the Catholic Church over many years of abuse around the world. So, although this latest apology will satisfy many within the Church and also some of its critics outside the faith, it may not be enough to satisfy some of the victims and those campaigning on their behalf.
FAIL
