Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Sydney on Sunday for one of the largest Christian gatherings on Earth, starting a visit set to be marked by his apology for sexual abuse by priests in Australia. The spiritual leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics was met by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Sydney Archbishop George Pell as he began his nine-day trip, his first here since becoming pontiff in 2005.
The pope is in Australia for World Youth Day, a celebration of the Catholic faith aimed at young people that is expected to draw more than 100,000 foreign pilgrims to the city and attract crowds of 500,000 to events. But his visit comes as the issue of sexual abuse by the clergy has again hit the headlines in Australia, where a case which has recently come to light has reignited concerns about the church's ability to deal with the problem.
Benedict, who apologised for abuse and took the unexpected step of meeting with victims of predator priests during his April trip to the United States, has said he will address the issue in Australia. Speaking to journalists during his 20-hour flight here, the 81-year-old pontiff said he would examine how the Catholic Church can "prevent, heal and reconcile" the past crimes of the clergy.
"This is the essential content of what we will say as we apologise," he said. The Catholic Church in Australia, whose bishops issued an apology for past abuses in 2002, said it was heartened by the pope's comments. "We continue, the church here in Australia, to be committed to doing all we can to bring healing to the victims of sexual abuse," World Youth Day co-ordinator Bishop Anthony Fisher said.
The Pope will spend the his first three days in Sydney in private at a Catholic retreat before being officially welcomed on Thursday, when he arrives in Sydney Harbour by boat. Tens of thousands of pilgrims from Australia and around the world have begun to stream into Sydney for the events, which culminate in an open-air mass at Randwick Racecourse in July 20.
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