The pope promised them that the Catholic Church would do everything possible to bring justice to those responsible and protect young people in the future.

The Vatican said Benedict has expressed it's shame and sadness at the pain suffered by the victims.

Recognizing with humility

Earlier, the Archbishop of Malta, Paul Cremona, said on Sunday as he opened the Mass celebrated by Benedict XVI, the Catholic Church should "acknowledge with humility" faults and sins of its members. "

Archbishop Cremona did not directly address the scandal to the estimated ten thousand people who attended the Mass of Benedict XVI, but said "we can not cling to the model of church that we have known for decades."

The Pope listened intently, sitting in place of the altar.

yesterday, the first of the two-day visit to the island, Benedict avoided making a direct reference to sexual abuse of minors by priests, but said the church "has been wounded by their sins .

Also in Malta

Yesterday, on arrival at the airport on the island, the President of Malta, George Abela, received an allusion to the accusations against three Roman Catholic priests for alleged sexual abuse to minors.

The President of Malta, George Abela, is said, to meet the Pope, wanted to see justice in the case of three priests accused of pedophilia

Moreover, there are ten Maltese that have claimed they were sexually abused by priests in an orphanage, in the decades of the 80s and 90s, they have already started criminal proceedings. They have asked the Pope to close what they described as a "particularly painful" chapter of their lives.

Testimony

One of the alleged victims of sexual abuse in Malta said later that the meeting with the Pope - which lasted about forty-five minutes - had made a tremendous spiritual value.

Speaking on local television, Lawrence Grech, gave a moving testimony between sobs.

He said that after their experiences of childhood, they had ceased to be Catholic. But he added that the pope had to carry on his shoulders the blame for others in the scandals of pedophile priests.

The correspondent, David Willey says the Pope - who just turned 83 years - was greeted by thousands of Maltese children, who sang "Happy Birthday" in front of the presidential residence, where Benedict is staying.