Pope Benedict XVI conducted a mass with representatives of sexual abuse victims this morning, less than an hour before he is due to take off to return to Rome.

The Pope officiated at the mass with a group representing victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy.

The Pope listen to their harrowing stories and consoled them and assured them of his support and his continuing prayer of their friends and families of the victims

With this gesture the Pope wanted to demonstrate once more his support and sorrow for all those who have been sexually abused around the world at the hands of Catholic priests.

It is understood that the mass was conducted in the chapel of St Marys.

The news if his last-minute gesture was dissimated to the Vatican press corp as they were on a bus to board a Qanats flight back to Rome.

The gesture culminates a hugely successful trip for the Pope and it was clearly an unscheduled mass - but one which can only add to the successful reading of his Australian trip.

The Pope celebrated the mass with four victims - two men and two women - and their supporters.

It was held in a tiny chapel of the chapter house in St Marys. It began at 7am and he was helped in the mass by Cardinal Pell and Archbishop Filoni.

It was a highly emotional meeting and which Pope said conveyed the drama and the sorrow of the victims.