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| Pope 'ashamed' of US clergy abuse |
| Pope Benedict XVI has said he is "deeply ashamed" of sexual abuse by clergy in the US Catholic Church
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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 15-April-2008
14:18:7 PM |
| The Pope, speaking on his way to the US, vowed to work to prevent paedophiles from becoming priests.
In recent years, the US Catholic Church has been hit by a wave of accusations that clergy abused children and has paid some $2bn (£1bn ) in settlements.
During his trip, the Pope will address the UN, celebrate two masses, pray at Ground Zero and visit a synagogue.
"We will absolutely exclude paedophiles from the sacred ministry," the Pope told reporters on board the flight to Washington
The sexual abuse by clergy had been a great suffering for the US Catholic Church, the Church in general and for him personally, the Pope said.
"I am deeply ashamed and will do whatever is possible so that this does not happen in the future," he said.
"It is more important to have good priests than many priests. We will do everything possible to heal this wound."
The Pope has been asked to meet some victims of clerical abuse and their families during his visit but has so far declined to do so, the BBC's Rome correspondent David Willey says.
Warm reception
It is the first time Benedict XVI has travelled to the US since he became the pontiff almost three years ago.
US President George W Bush is due to make the unusual gesture of greeting the Pope on his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington.
About a quarter of Americans are Catholics, and the Church has been changing with the arrival of millions of new Latino immigrants.
The BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington says the theologically conservative Pope may get a warmer reception for his views in the US than in Europe.
Mr Bush is close to the pontiff in opposing abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research.
But the two differ on issues including the war in Iraq and capital punishment, both of which the Vatican has opposed.
The Pope will celebrate his birthday during the trip, turning 81 on Wednesday.
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