A German bishop accused of physically abusing children in his care has issued an apology and asked for forgiveness. Bishop Walter Mixa said in a statement that he was "sorry for causing many people grief" without specifying exactly what he meant.

The Bishop of Augsburg has been accused of carrying out beatings at a Catholic children's home in the 1970s and 1980s. The claims came as the Catholic Church is embroiled in allegations of child sex abuse by priests.

Last week, Pope Benedict called on Roman Catholics to "do penance" for their sins, in an apparent reference to the crisis. The statement from Bishop Mixa followed a meeting between him and the priest council in his diocese in southern Germany.

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