Vatican City -
Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday apologised to victims of sexual abuse by priests in Ireland, saying he is "truly sorry" for what they have endured.
"You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry," the pontiff said in a letter to be read out in churches and parishes throughout Ireland.
The pastoral letter is the first public statement by the
Vatican on the long-brewing scandal.
In the widely anticipated document Benedict said that in the name of the
Catholic church "I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel."
"I can only share in the dismay and the sense of betrayal that so many of you have experienced on learning of these sinful and criminal acts and the way the
Church authorities in
Ireland dealt with them."
In the letter, he also addressed priests and other religious figures who have abused children - an Irish government-commissioned report has detailed more than 300 cases since 1975.
"You betrayed the trust that was placed in you by innocent young people and their parents," Benedict said.
"You must answer for it before Almighty God and before properly constituted tribunals," he added.
Benedict also announced he will dispatch papal inspectors, a mission known as anApostolic visitation to dioceses in Ireland, as well as seminaries and religious congregations.
The pontiff did not mention specific disciplinary measures against bishops and other clerics who have been accused of a cover-up of cases of paedophilia.
The pontiff's spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the letter was meant as a "heartfelt" message by the pontiff to Irish Catholics and not a set of bureaucratic procedures.
"This is just the first step of a long process," Lombardi said at Vatican press briefing on the letter.
