The pontiff, on the second day of a visit to Cyprus, was speaking on a tour of a primary school of the Maronite church, which has its roots in Lebanon and Syria but has a small community on the eastern Mediterranean island. "As this Year for Priests draws to a close, the church has gained a renewed awareness of the need for good, holy and well-formed priests," he told his audience, which included pupils of the school and their parents".
The year will conclude in Rome with an international gathering of priests with the pope from June 9 to 11.
There have been no reports of any cases of paedophilia among churchmen in Cyprus.
Before Benedict arrived on his landmark three-day visit to the island, two groups wrote to the attorney general demanding he arrest the pope "as soon as he sets foot in Cyprus," claiming he "has covered up hundreds of crimes against innocent children by paedophile priests."
SIC: TIME