I always wonder why the church thinks an apology is enough. For those who were told to trust the priest, then were abused (or have a friend who was), an apology seems so inadequate. The church needs to recognize the impossible situation it has with our priests. And it was never God's will that priests live as they do, that came by declaration from a pope. Let normal Catholics become priests, which means let married men be priests, and you will crowd out the pedophiles. We need priests desperately, but asking a person to give up on a family, which is a gift from God, is a losing battle as we can all see.

It sure took the pope a long time to realize an apology was in order! Also insufficient hit the nail on the head with the prior post.

I realize these posts could never have any influence on "Catholic Tradition" But feel "Insufficient's" post has merit. History has proven neither gender can live a "celebic" life. My Bibles, both "confraternity" & "King James" versions tell me one of God's first commandments to Adam & Eve was "To mulitply and replenish the earth." I feel that is all one needs to know.

Too bad there was no comment from the Pontiff on why the abuses are so incredibly wide spread. The answer to everyone else is obvious.

An apology does help the victims a bit, but it is not enough. Nobody can ever restore a life destroyed by abuse except the person themselves!

But at least the Pope gave an apology. That is a heck of a lot more than the LDS Church ever does for the horrible acts it has perpetrated over the years: the racism in denying blacks the priesthood, the polygamy, Mountain Meadows (well, they FINALLY -- after 150 years - apologized for that one!)

Thank God for the Pope who is a MUCH better Church leader over a much larger Church than the LDS Church leaders and their petty little Salt Lake City cult.

I guess it is required of us to forgive,

right, liberals?

Was Christ a liberal now? With free agency, you aren't required to do anything.

Boy are you angry! And all out of proportion, too, if you know your church history.
Coming from a Catholic background, I feel free to speak a bit.
Have you considered the Inquisition? How about the Crusades? The encomienda system-the Spanish nobles granted land in the New World, including all the people living on it to be slaves? If they died, it didn't matter, since they weren't baptized and therefore were hardly people. The Pope dividing the Americans between Spain and Portugal? The good Catholic Poles ignoring pleas for help from the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII? Or not speaking out against Nazism before or during the War. How about the widespread cover-ups of clergy sexual abuse that has gone on for many, many years?
If you want to talk doctrine, how about an innocent newborn not going to Heaven unless he was baptized--never mind that he may have been born miles away from the priest. Or my good Catholic daughter-in-law aborting a handicapped baby being okay since she had the priest there to baptize the baby?
What does this prove? Simply that people of all faiths are imperfect.
Christ is the only perfect man who ever lived.