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By DANIEL BURKE, Religion News Service

Some say Pope Paul VI predicted the dangers of loosening sexual morals: widespread divorce, disease and promiscuity. Others say he cracked open a culture of dissent that has seeped into every corner of the church.

Either way, 40 years after Paul VI released Humanae Vitae on July 25, 1968, the papal encylical banning most forms of birth control continues to be a flashpoint in the Catholic Church.

This week, Benedict XVI once again finds himself in a nation whose Catholic community has been rocked by repeated sexual abuse scandals, and once again the pope appears determined not to duck the issue. As he did in his mid-April trip to the United States, Benedict addressed the crisis before he even arrived, taking a question aboard the papal plane en route to Australia for World Youth Day.

(Coverage of World Youth Day can be found here: http://ncrcafe.org/blog/2682)

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.

Pope Benedict XVI continued to paint his distinctive shade of green in Australia yesterday, repeatedly voicing environmental concerns while linking them to a broader range of Christian doctrines and moral teaching.

In a session with leaders of other religions held in the Chapter Hall of Sydney’s St. Mary’s Cathedral, the pontiff said religions have a unique capacity to foster “sacrifice and self-discipline,” including “a moderate use of the world’s goods.”

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.

Pope Benedict XVI today offered a direct apology for the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests and religious, saying he is "deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured," assuring them that "as their pastor, I share in their suffering."

The pope said that sexual abuse deserves “unequivocal condemnation,” pointedly acknowledging the “shame” and “great pain” caused by the recent scandals in Catholicism. Twice, the pope referred to sexual abuse as an “evil.”