Bishop of Meath speaks of Pope's sympathy

The Bishop of Meath has said Pope Benedict showed great sympathy for the majority of Irish Bishops who had inherited rather than caused problems of clerical sexual abuse.

Bishop Michael Smith was speaking after the Pope told the Irish Hierarchy they faced an urgent task to re-build confidence and trust in the wake of the past 12 years of scandals.

Earlier today the Catholic Primate, Archbishop Sean Brady, invited Pope Benedict to visit Ireland.

He issued his invitation during a meeting this morning between the Irish Hierarchy and the Pontiff.

In his response, Pope Benedict did not refer directly to the invitation but expressed his appreciation for Archbishop Brady's gracious words.

The Pope told the Irish bishops they face an urgent task to rebuild confidence and trust in the wake of the clerical sexual abuse scandals.

And he urged them to be bold in leading Catholics in their response to immigration and said they must join him in correcting the idea that Catholicism is merely a collection of prohibitions.

Welcoming more than 30 bishops at a private meeting in the Apostolic palace, Pope Benedict set out the challenges facing them as their obligatory 5-yearly visit to the Vatican draws to a close.

The 79-year-old said they had had to respond in recent years to many heart-rending cases of sexual abuse of minors, which were all the more tragic when the abuser was a cleric.

The wounds caused by such acts run deep, and it is an urgent task to rebuild confidence and trust where these have been damaged, he said.

In their continuing efforts to deal effectively with this problem, it was important to establish the truth of what happened, to take whatever steps were necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected.

Above all he underlined the need to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these most awful crimes.

In this way, the Church in Ireland will grow stronger, the Pope predicted. He urged bishops to lead a society which is generous to immigrants in recognizing the inability of secular, materialist culture to bring true satisfaction and joy.