Pope leads open-air Mass in Malta for thousands

Pope Benedict XVI is celebrating an open-air Mass in Malta, a heavily Catholic nation where victims of the worldwide sex abuse scandal are hoping to meet with him. Church officials expected up to 10,000 people to attend the Mass today.

Pope Benedict XVI is celebrating an open-air Mass in Malta, a heavily Catholic nation where victims of the worldwide sex abuse scandal are hoping to meet with him. Church officials expected up to 10,000 people to attend the Mass on Sunday and thousands more to turn out along Benedict's motorcade route before he returns to Rome in the evening.

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Benedict made no direct comments on the scandals on the first day of the two-day visit.

Ten men who claimed they were abused by priests several decades ago want to meet with Benedict in Malta. But they told local newspapers on Sunday they would go to Rome if Benedict did not have time to see them in Malta.