Sydney  - Australia's leading Catholic prelate on Sunday stoked speculation that Pope Benedict XVI will apologize during his Sydney visit to victims abused by priests.

The pope, who will be in Australia next month to preside over Sydney's World Youth Day, previously apologized for the actions of paedophile priests during his trip to the United States in April.

"I think it would be appropriate for the pope to say something on that score," Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell told reporters.

He stressed that the church in Australia had made several formal apologies to victims.

"Certainly, there's plenty for which we're not proud," Pell said. "We faced up to it, I think, pretty well for quite some time now."

World Youth Day organizers are hoping 125,000 Australian pilgrims and an equal number from abroad will attend the July 15-20 event that closes with a Mass presided over by the pontiff. Around 134,000 pilgrims have already registered.

Rome was the venue for the first World Youth Day in 1986. The event is held somewhere in the world every three years. Cologne, Germany, was the venue, in 2005. (dpa)