Pope Finally Talks Sex Abuse—Sort Of

Benedict says Church must do 'penance'
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 15, 2010 9:49 AM CDT
Pope Finally Talks Sex Abuse—Sort Of
In this March 31, 2010 photo, Pope Benedict XVI waves as he is driven through the crowd during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square.   (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

He might not have mentioned it explicitly, but Pope Benedict has apparently broken his deafening silence on the sex abuse scandals roiling the Catholic Church. The comments, which called for the church to do "penance" for its "sins," came in a homily delivered in the papal palace, reports the Wall Street Journal.

"We Christians, even lately, have often avoided the word 'penance,'" Benedict said in excerpts posted on a church website. "Now, under the eyes of the world that speaks of our sins, we see that doing penance is grace and we see how penance is necessary," (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)

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