VATICAN CITY, March 21 (NNN-KUNA) -- Pope Benedict XVI voiced on Saturday profound shame and remorse over the child sex abuses committed by Catholic bishops in Ireland and elsewhere.

The Supreme Pontiff apologized to victims of abuses and their families in a pastoral letter to Irish Catholics which was made public here.

He admitted that there had been "serious mistakes" by the Irish Catholic Church failed in handling handle the revelations about pedophilia among clergymen.

Addressing the victims of the abuses he said: "You have suffered from betrayal of their trust and the violation of your dignity. I know that nothing can remedy the harm inflicted on you."

"Those who are guilty of abuses must answer before God and properly constituted tribunals for the sinful and criminal actions they have committed, " he said.

Pope Benedict XVI affirmed that an action should be taken to tackle the tragic consequences of the abuses on the lives of victims and the factors which dimmed the light of Gospel.

This pastoral letter, the first of its kind by the Vatican on the child sex abuses, came in response to human rights activists' accusation against the Catholic church of covering up for corrupt clergymen.

The pastoral letter is the first statement of its kind by the Vatican on the sexual abuse of children.
On February 15 and 16, Pope Benedict XVI met leaders of the Irish Catholic Church to discuss the scandal of pedophilia within the institution. He said he was ready to meet the victims of the sex abuses.

The revelations about pedophilia scandals in Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Mexico Brazil and other parts of the world rocked the Catholic Church. -- NNN-KUNA