Pope Benedict XVI is expected to express his apologies to the victims of sexual abuse inflicted by Roman Catholic clergy when he visits Australia for World Youth Day next week, the church's senior cleric in the country announced on Monday.

Cardinal George Pell declared that the pope had communicated his disgrace and remorse over the issue of pedophile priests while he was on his visit to the United States earlier this year and it was most probable he would do something similar in Australia.

Backing groups for victims of clerics’ abuse in Australia, whose numbers remain unknown, but are said to be in the thousands, have claimed the pope to make a complete public apology for such mistreatments and do all the possible in order to pay compensation to the victims and put a stop to future abuse.

Clergy sex molest came to light in famous cases throughout the past twenty years and has become a major civic problem in the United States, Ireland, Canada, Australia and elsewhere.

Pope Benedict XVI has arranged to conduct prayers and hold lectures during World Youth Day, a five-day celebration in Australia believed to draw up to 250,000 pilgrims. A meeting with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and other top government officials is also programmed. However, no meeting with abuse victims is on the pope’s official agenda.