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POPE Benedict says he's "deeply ashamed" over sexual abuse that shook the Roman Catholic Church in the US and has vowed to do everything possible to avoid a repeat scandal.
"We will absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry,'' he said aboard the plane taking him to Washington for his first visit to the US as pope.
"We are deeply ashamed and will do whatever is possible so that this does not happen in the future.''
The trip is the first by a pontiff since a wave of sex abuse scandals began in 2002, provoking lawsuits that have forced dioceses to pay more than $US2 billion ($A2.16 billion) in settlements.
"We are deeply ashamed and will do whatever is possible so that this does not happen in the future.''
POPE Benedict says he's "deeply ashamed" over sexual abuse that shook the Roman Catholic Church in the US and has vowed to do everything possible to avoid a repeat scandal.