You couldn't make this up.

The Times is reporting that the Pope has called for Christians to “do penance” in the face of “world attacks” on the Church over the clerical abuse scandals.
At a Mass in the Pauline Chapel of the Vatican for members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission the Pope, who turns 83 tomorrow and is to make a two-day visit to Malta at the weekend, said: “I have to say that we Christians, including in recent times, have often avoided the word penance, which seemed to us too harsh.”
He added: “Now, under attack from the world, which talks to us of our sins, we can see that being able to do penance is a grace and we see how necessary it is to do penance and thus recognise what is wrong in our lives”.
You can read it here
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7098470.ece

Well excuse me Mr Ratzinger. I didn't molest the kids and cover it up. Your priests did. And they did it when you were in charge and could do something about it.

Your statement sums up what is wrong with your church.
You presume a moral authority over other Christians.
You rule your clergy by denying them the right to a normal married life.
You rule your church through guilt and fear.
You claim infallibility for yourselves.

And now you want Christians everywhere to do penance for your sins?
Jesus died for your sins. You don't need to do penance. No-one does.
And the idea of making me do it in your place reveals what a den of thieves the church has become.
The Bible says quite clearly that judgement will begin with the church.
It is beginning.