Irish abuse group wants Pope to apologise

Revelations of widespread child abuse by members of the clergy, compounded by evidence of a cover-up, shook the Irish Catholic Church.

DUBLIN, March 19, 2010 (AFP) - The pope should apologise to Irish sex abuse victims and admit the Catholic church abused its power and deliberately covered up the activities of paedophile priests, a leading victims' group said Friday.

The One in Four group set out what they want Pope Benedict XVI to say in his pastoral letter to Ireland's Catholics about the clerical abuse scandal that has rocked the country.

The Vatican press office said the pope was to sign the long-awaited letter on Friday and it would be made public on Saturday.

One in Four wants the Pope to say "clearly and unequivocally" that the church "at the highest levels" has always known about the clerical sexual abuse of children.

In its version of the letter, One in Four said it wanted the pope to say: "We have pursued a deliberate policy of cover-up, protecting sex offenders in order to avoid scandal, with no regard for the safety of children.

"The scandal of clerical sexual abuse is international and extends far beyond the Irish Church."

They also want the Pope to state that the church had "silenced and sanctioned courageous priests and lay people who have tried to expose the endemic sexual abuse."

The pope should say he is "deeply sorry", the group's letter adds.

Revelations of widespread child abuse by members of the clergy, compounded by evidence of a cover-up by the church hierarchy, shook the Irish Catholic Church late last year.

Since then, abuse scandals involving the church have come to light in Austria, the pope's native Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.