Papal Visit

In the context of his visit to the United States this week, Pope Benedict said he was "deeply ashamed" of the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Church and will work to make sure pedophiles don't become priests.

"It is a great suffering for the Church in the United States and for the church in general and for me personally that this could happen," Benedict said. "It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission ... to these children." "I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future," the pope said.

Benedict's trip to the United States is the first since the scandal involving priests sexually abusing young people. The church has paid out more than $2 billion in abuse costs since 1950, with hundreds of millions in settlements since 2002. Six U.S. dioceses have declared bankruptcy in recent years because of the financial toll of the scandal. 

Some feel as though the church has been complicitous in the abuse noting that although a few bishops accused of molestation have stepped down, no bishop has been disciplined for failing to keep abusive clergy away from children. Cardinal Bernard Law resigned as archbishop of in 2002 after church files were made public showing he and other church leaders had allowed accused clergy to continue in public ministry.

John M. Hanamirian