Is Pope Benedict's 'deep sorrow' an apology to child abuse victims?

So Benedict has said sorry. Or not. Or has he? The Press Association (and thus much of the media) is writing his words on pederast priests up as an abject apology.

But all the 83 year old German theologian has succeeded in doing is lighting another firestorm.

Because whilst expressing his deep sorrow and that of the church, for the foul actions of some priests, he does not actually say: “I am sorry.”

Which problem has hallmarked this trip.

Even at the outset, flying from Rome to Edinburgh aboard Prayer Force One, he did not express either personal sorrow nor say sorry – he merely observed what is staggeringly obvious, that his church had not acted effectively on the paedophile scandal.

So today, already some point out that his letter to Irish victims of predatory priests did contain a personal apology and also called the actions of such priests “criminal”.

What bunk, others will cry. Nothing but the secular hypercritical media firing things up. What more does the poor fellow have to do?

Which question is of course, best answered by those who matter most (as Benedict himself pointed out today) – the victims.

And they remain deeply dissatisfied by the churches actions on this issue – whatever the nuances of its rhetoric.