Pope admits church’s guilt in abuse scandal

The AP (5/11) reported on the Pope’s overdue admission of the Church’s guil in the clerical sex abuse scandal. Pope Benedict acknowledged that the greatest enemies of the church base their grievances on sins from within the church, and not merely a campaign by outsiders. He also stated the need for the Church to relearn penitence, accept purification, and learn that justice matters as well as forgiveness. However, the Pope’s critics point out that despite this scolding and the resignation of a few bishops, none of the actual perpetrators of sexual abuse have been actively punished or defrocked — even those who confessed to doing so. The Vatican has not yet been held liable in the U.S.