Pope meets with victims of clergy abuse in Australia

Pope Benedict XVI spoke at Sydney Airport this morning with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (left) before the pontiff returned to the Vatican. (mark baker/associated press)

SYDNEY - Pope Benedict XVI met privately today with Australians who were sexually abused as children by priests, ending a pilgrimage to the country with a gesture of contrition and concern over a scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church.

The pontiff held prayers and spoke with four representatives of abuse victims - two men and two women - in the last hours of his 9-day visit to Australia for the church's global youth festival.

The victims did not speak publicly after the meeting. Support groups for other victims dismissed the gesture as a public relations exercise.

The abuse scandal created a troubling undertone to the trip for World Youth Day, which is a celebration of faith. A large group of Boston Catholics, led by Cardinal Sean O'Malley, participated in the series of youth events.

On Saturday, Benedict delivered a forthright apology for the scandal, saying he was "deeply sorry" for the victims' suffering. But victims demanded that Benedict do more to provide financial compensation and psychological help for them.

The Vatican did not give details of the conversations between the pope and the victims he met for about one hour today "as an expression of his ongoing pastoral concern for those who have been abused by members of the church."

"He listened to their stories and offered them consolation," a Vatican statement said. "Assuring them of his spiritual closeness he promised to continue to pray for them, their families and all victims."

The pope held a similar meeting with abuse victims in the United States during a visit in April.

Bernard Barrett of the Broken Rites group, which estimates there are thousands of clergy sexual abuse cases in Australia, said the victims met by the pope were carefully chosen as people who would not cause trouble.

"It doesn't alter things, because it's purely public relations," Barrett told a radio station. "I think it's a cynical exercise."

Benedict left Australia for Rome mid-morning on a chartered plane.