Pope facing a daunting task

LONDON - Plans are being drawn up for the Pope to hold private meetings during this week's visit to Britain with people who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of clerics.

Benedict XVI arrives in Edinburgh tonight, in the first state visit to Britain by a Pope. His trip represents a seminal moment in the relationship between the Vatican and a country that helped to spearhead the Reformation with its spiritual break from Rome.

But it will also be a major opportunity for the Catholic Church to cast itself in a new light after one of the most troubled years in its recent history with scores of new clerical sex-abuse scandals breaking out in Western Europe, the United States and parts of Latin America.

Church officials have refused to comment publicly on whether the Pope will reach out to abuse victims during his visit. But the Independent understands plans have been drawn up for the Pontiff to hold private meetings. These will still require final Vatican approval.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, has said the Pope has been giving "careful consideration" to such a meeting. Observers say it is now highly unlikely that Benedict will not make some sort of gesture that recognises the harm caused by abusive priests.

Previous visits to Malta, Australia and the US all included emotional meetings with abuse victims which were regarded as a visibly important step in the Church's public response to an issue that has dogged the Vatican for more than a decade.

Vatican policy dictates that meetings with abuse victims are never publicised in advance and church officials refused to comment publicly on whether they would go ahead.

"Over a number of previous visits there have been meetings between the Pope and those who have suffered sexual abuse," said a source with knowledge of the visit.

"There are very strict parameters that govern how these meetings take place. The first is that the talks are private with no mediators. The second is that these meetings are never announced beforehand."

But seasoned commentators say a meeting is all but certain. "To not hold some sort of meeting would be a PR disaster," said a prominent Catholic who asked to be anonymous. "It would send a terrible message."

Successive polls have shown a palpable indifference to the Pope's visit among non-Catholics and a growing gulf between the Pope's teachings and the opinions of ordinary lay Catholics in Britain.

But a poll released by ITV of more than 2000 people has also found 80 per cent of Britons would like the Pope to issue some sort of apology for the worldwide clerical child abuse scandal during his four-day visit.

The 83-year-old Pontiff will pay a series of courtesy calls to prominent politicians, including Prime Minister David Cameron. He celebrates a Mass on Saturday night (NZT) at Westminster Cathedral, then five hours later a prayer vigil in Hyde Park, leaving space for private meetings. There is also some space tomorrow when Benedict visits thousands of school pupils in Twickenham, west London.

Archbishop Nichols admitted yesterday that the global Catholic Church should have done better in its handling of clerical abuse.

"The church has made a mess of its response ... Nothing can be said to excuse the crimes committed by members of the clergy against children."

But the Archbishop also reiterated his belief that British Catholics would greet the Pontiff with open arms.

"The Catholic tradition in this country is one of actually very profound loyalty to the person of the Holy Father," the Archbishop said.

"While many would want to suggest differences of trends and opinion, this way or not, I am quite sure, and it is my experience in parish after parish, standing at the back of Westminster Cathedral day after day, that Catholics are looking forward to this visit very much indeed."

In the run-up to the Pope's visit new attempts have been made by the church to reach out to abuse victims.

Last month members of the church's Child Protection Advisory Service met several survivor groups - including the Survivors Trust and Macsas (Ministry and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors) - to discuss future pastoral care for victims.

Dr Margaret Kennedy, the founder of Macsas, said: "It was a rather acrimonious meeting to be honest. A lot of survivors feel fed up with the way they were treated by the Church and feel this is too little, too late."

Macsas says it has requested a public meeting with the Pope to give him a book of survivor testimonies. Its requests have so far been refused, although the church has suggested an intermediary take it.

- INDEPENDENT