Pope Meets Abuse Victims, Expresses 'Deep Sorrow'

Benedict apologizes again for the scandal
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Sep 18, 2010 12:07 PM CDT
Pope Meets Abuse Victims
Protesters against Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to Britain kiss as they march in central London Saturday.   (AP Photo/Akira Suemori)

Pope Benedict met today with five people who were molested by priests as children and apologized to them, even as abuse survivors and thousands of people opposed to his visit marched in central London in the biggest protest of his five-year papacy. Benedict met for about 40 minutes with the victims and "expressed his deep sorrow and shame over what victims and their families had suffered," said a Vatican statement.

As the pope met with them, other abuse survivors and demonstrators opposed to the pope's stance against homosexuality, abortion, and using condoms to fight AIDS marched from Hyde Park to Downing Street to protest the pope's four-day state visit. Meanwhile, British atheist Richard Dawkins is hopping mad that the pope seemed to equate the fight against secularism with the fight against the Nazis, notes USA Today. (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)

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