VOA标准英语2008年-Pope Benedict Apologizes for Clergy Abuse in Au

Pope Benedict has apologized for sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Australia and has insisted that those responsible should be brought to justice. The pope told a mass in Sydney Saturday sexual abuse by clergy¹ had brought shame to the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict is in Sydney for World Youth Day. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.
　
Pope Benedict XVI during Mass in St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, 19 Jul 2008

Pope Benedict told a mass in Sydney the behavior of pedophile priests was "evil" and a grave betrayal of trust that had brought great shame on the Catholic Church.

He said the perpetrators should be brought to justice.

"I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured and I assure them that as their pastor² I too share in their suffering. These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation," he said.

The papal apology was widely anticipated and echoes the contrition³ the pope expressed on a visit to the United States earlier this year.

Support groups for victims in Australia have said that Pope Benedict's apology was not sufficient.

They have called for the church to end what they describe as a continuing cover-up of the scale of the problem.

They have also demanded "appropriate" levels of financial compensation.

Anthony Foster, whose daughter committed suicide after being raped⁴ by a Catholic priest who also attacked her sister, says the pope's words do not go far enough.

"I'll accept an apology if the pope will wholeheartedly embrace the notion of begging forgiveness from victims, and supporting them in every way possible and putting the full resources of the Church behind that support so they can have a reasonable life. They will never recover fully⁵ from what has happened to them," said Foster.

There have been 107 convictions of pedophile clergy in Australia, but campaigners have insisted that there could be thousands of victims, as only a few cases ever go to court.

Sexual abuse by Catholic priests has overshadowed the pope's visit to World Youth Day in Sydney, with senior church officials reopening a 25-year-old case of indecent assault in Australia only days before the pontiff arrived.
　
Pope Benedict XVI watches as an Aboriginal⁶ girl carries a candle during an Evening Vigil at Randwick Racecourse at World Youth Day in Sydney, 19 Jul 2008

World Youth Day festivities have continued in Australia's biggest city, with tens of thousands of pilgrims marching across the Sydney harbor bridge on their way to an all-night vigil at a race course before a giant, open-air papal mass on Sunday.

World Youth Day is a global celebration that is meant to inspire a new generation of Catholics.

　

 

1 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

2 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

3 contrition   

n.悔罪，痛悔

参考例句：

• The next day he'd be full of contrition,weeping and begging forgiveness.第二天，他就会懊悔不已，哭着乞求原谅。
• She forgave him because his contrition was real.她原谅了他是由于他的懊悔是真心的。

4 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。