Pope views clerical abuse scandals as a 'test'

Pope Benedict XVI sees the clerical sex scandals as a "test for him and the church", his spokesman said today, as bishops around Europe used Holy Week's solemn call for penitence to pledge transparency in dealing with the abuse of children.

Swiss bishops urged victims to consider filing criminal complaints; German bishops opened a hotline for victims; Danish bishops launched an inquiry into decades-old claims; and Austria's senior cleric, Cardinal Christophe Schoenborn, admitted church guilt as he presided over a service for victims billed as a sign of repentance.