The Canadian cardinal who could become the next pope is defending the Catholic Church's handling of sex abuse scandals.

Marc Cardinal Ouellet says he's satisfied with new measures that have been taken, including the monitoring of clergy members.

In a C-B-C interview last evening, Ouellet said he hopes the church's actions serve as an example for others in creating safe environments for young people.

He said sexual abuse is ``human problem,`` and not just a ``Catholic problem`` that the church had to deal with very carefully.

The former Archbishop of Quebec has come under fire in the past from critics who said he remained silent on sexual abuse by priests in his home province.

Ouellet said the church has learned from its mistakes and has ``apologized many times'' for abuses that have hurt its reputation.

Ouellet is being touted as a possible candidate to succeed Pope Benedict, who resigned last month citing a lack of strength to do the job.

(The Canadian Press)