Telegraph
April 18, 2010
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/7603808/Pope-meets-with-Malta-sex-abuse-victims.html
Meeting a small group of victims after Mass during his two-day visit to the Mediterranean island, he "was deeply moved by their stories and expressed his shame and sorrow," Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi told journalists.
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| Pope Benedict XVI waves to the gathered crowd in front of the Presidential Palace in Malta |
"He prayed with them and assured them that the Church is doing, and will continue to do, all in its power to investigate allegations, to bring to justice those responsible for abuse and to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people in the future," Lombardi said.
Their stories of abuse have been extensively reported in the Maltese and international press and the Vatican has been under huge pressure to arrange an encounter, at which the Pope will be expected to apologise on behalf of the Catholic Church.
The group of 10 men allege that they were systematically molested and sexually abused by Catholic priests at the St Joseph Home orphanage in the 1980s.
Court proceedings have started against three priests, but the victims complain that the process is moving "at a snail's pace". A fourth accused priest has fled to Italy.
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