Pope to Church: Pedophilia Was 'Badly Handled'

Pope Benedict XVI had strong words for America's Roman Catholic bishops today, asserting that the clerical sexual molestation scandal had been "very badly handled" in many cases, the AP reports. "It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged," he said.

Benedict's speech marked his second mention of the scandal since landing in the US, and he made it clear he sees pedophilia in the church in relation to America's secular, hedonistic culture in general. "What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today?" he asked. (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)