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July 21, 2008

Pope Meets Abuse Victims as World Youth Day Ends 
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1D54359:A6F02AD83191E16011DB7957D8653DE35C6F54A6CF9DC2CA&
 
Benedict XVI listens to stories, consoles victims of pedophile priests
in Australia; support groups dismiss meeting as 'publicity stunt' 
Pope Benedict XVI has met privately with Australians who were sexually
abused as children by priests. The pontiff held prayers and spoke with
them Monday at the conclusion of a nine-day visit for World Youth Day,
an international Catholic festival. From Sydney, Phil Mercer
reports.Pope Benedict XVI thanks World Youth Day volunteers prior to
departure from Sydney, 21 Jul 2008The issue of abusive clergy in large
part overshadowed the pope's visit to Australia for World Youth
Day.After earlier apologizing for the "evil" perpetrated by pedophile
priests, the pope met a small group of victims - two men and two women
chosen by church officials - at a mass in Sydney.The Vatican said in a
statement that Pope Benedict had "listened to their stories and offered
them consolation."Support groups for other victims dismissed the meeting
as a publicity stunt.Anthony Foster, whose daughters were raped by a
priest, has expressed his disappointment…"It's been done in a very
secretive, u!
 nderhanded way that shows no care or compassion for us or a great body
of victims," he said.Despite the abuse controversy, the pope says
Sydney's World Youth Day has been a success."World Youth Day has shown
us that the Church can rejoice in the young people of today and be
filled with hope for the world of tomorrow," he said. "Dear friends, as
I depart from Sydney I ask God to look down lovingly on this city, this
country and all its inhabitants."During his visit, the pontiff not only
addressed the issue of sexual abuse by the clergy, but spoke of his
concerns for the environment and called on young people to save the
world from greed and 'insatiable' consumerism.Catholic leaders in
Australia hope that World Youth Day in Sydney will herald the start of a
religious revival in a country considered in a recent German study to be
one of the most godless in the western world.Over 170 nations were
represented at the festival, attracting more visitors to Sydney than the
2000 !
 Olympic Games.The next World Youth Day will be held in the Spanish cap
ital, Madrid, in 2011. 


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