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Religion See other Religion Articles Title: Pope to apologise for abuse by priests in Australia 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 coordinator 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. Speaking ahead of his landing in Sydney, the pontiff said the main messages of his visit will include an emphasis on environmental concerns and "our responsibility towards creation." "We must awaken consciences," he told reporters. "We have to face up to this great challenge and find the ethical capacity to change the situation of the environment for the good." Asked whether he was concerned about holding a major religious event in a mostly secular country, the pope said Australia was a part of the western world and, as such, shared its successes and problems. He said there was a crisis of religion in Europe, where the position sometimes was that: "We do not need God to be happy, we do not need God to create a better world. God is not necessary." He said this was not so much the case in the United States and Australia. "On the other hand, God is in the hearts of human beings and can never disappear," he said. "There is always a presence of faith. Now that (at) this historical moment we begin to see some belief again in this sense I am fairly optimistic." Gay rights activists and others are set to protest against the pope's stance on homosexuality and contraception during his visit, while police powers to arrest people for annoying the pilgrims have angered civil libertarians. About 150 protesters from secular groups marked the pope's arrival in Melbourne with a rally against World Youth Day. "We've got people here who are frustrated. It's called World Youth Day but it's not all-inclusive, it doesn't include all youth. It's organised by the Catholic church and is promoting Catholicism," organiser Jason Ball said. Pope Benedict expressed "great joy" about the visit, saying World Youth Day events had the ability to open frontiers between nations and bring cultures together. In an official statement to the "great southern land of the Holy Spirit" he wrote that all Australians were in his thoughts. "Although I will be able to spend only a few days in your country, and I will not be able to travel outside Sydney, my heart reaches out to all of you, including those who are sick or in difficulties of any kind."
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