Papal apologies have been few in church's history; some examples from

Papal apologies have been few in the long history of the Vatican, though Benedict XVI and his predecessor John Paul II in recent years have admitted errors by the church. Here are some examples:

Pope Benedict XVI

_ July 19, 2008: Said he was"deeply sorry for the pain and suffering" of victims of child sex abuse by clergy in Australia.

_ April, 2008: Said he was"deeply ashamed" of the child sex abuse scandal in the church and that the issue had sometimes been"very badly handled" by church officials.

_ September, 2006: Said he was"deeply sorry" for remarks in a speech that linked Islam with violence, triggering outrage in the Muslim world.