Pope’s comments on abuse ‘pathetic’

THE Pope has made what is being widely interpreted as his first official comments on the child abuse scandal in residential institutions here.

However, abuse survivors say the reference in a letter to priests across the world is too vague to have real meaning, with one group calling it a “pathetic” attempt at a statement.

In his letter, issued to announce a Year for Priests, Pope Benedict praises the role of priests and appears to give less than 100 words of the 4,250-word document to the issue of abuse.