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The leader of Catholics in England and Wales is set to issue a statement later expressing "deep sorrow" over child abuse scandals that hit the Church.The Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, is expected to acknowledge the harm done to hundreds of children over decades by Catholic priests.
He is expected to make reference to "terrible crimes" and an "inadequate response by some church leaders".
A wave of child abuse reports across the globe has hit the Catholic Church.
In recent months victims have come forward in Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and the US.
And critics have accused the Church of failing to deal adequately with the problem.
'No excuses'
The archbishop will present the statement, which will go out to all parishes in England and Wales, at the end of a plenary meeting in Leeds.
In it he is expected to say: "We express our heartfelt apology and deep sorrow to those who have suffered abuse, those who have felt ignored, disbelieved or betrayed.
"We ask their pardon, and the pardon of God for these terrible deeds done in our midst. There can be no excuses."
Referring to this as "a time for deep prayer of reparation and atonement", the archbishop's statement is expected to say: "We recognise the failings of some Bishops and religious leaders in handling these matters. These, too, are aspects of this tragedy which we deeply regret and for which we apologise.
"The procedures now in place in our countries highlight what should have been done straightaway in the past. Full co-operation with statutory bodies is essential."This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.