Pope says to apologize for sex abuse in Australia

By Philip Pullella

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Benedict said on Saturday he will apologize for a sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church in Australia, saying pedophilia was "incompatible" with being a priest.

Speaking at a news conference on the plane taking him to Australia, the Pope said he would make similar comments to those during a trip to the United States last April. Then, he made apology for sexual abuse a major part of his visit, meeting victims and vowing to keep pedophiles out of the priesthood.

"It is essential for the Church to reconcile, to prevent, to help and to see guilt in this problem," he said on Saturday.

"It must be clear ... that being a real priest is incompatible with this (sexual abuse) because priests are in the service of our Lord."

Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and brothers in Australia have been calling on Benedict to apologize when he arrives in Sydney on Sunday for World Youth Day.

Broken Rites, which represents abuse victims in Australia, has a list of 107 convictions for church abuse, but says the real number of cases is far greater as only a few go to court.

Victims of abuse by clergy plan to protest during the Pope's visit. A group called "No Pope" will meanwhile hand out condoms in protest at church doctrine and protest extra police powers during the papal visit that it says crush civil liberties.

Only days before the Pope's arrival, a 25-year-old sexual abuse case involving a Sydney priest was reopened after Cardinal George Pell, the head of the Catholic church in Australia, denied he tried to cover up the abuse.  Continued...