Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo asked for forgiveness April 24 for a paternity scandal in which three women claim the former Roman Catholic bishop fathered their children.

Reading from a written statement, Lugo acknowledged "personal errors," and portrayed himself as a "father who is prepared to share his love and care."

But Lugo, who has acknowledged fathering a 2-year-old boy born to a former parishioner, did not recognize the two children involved in two other paternity claims.

"I am a human being and therefore nothing is foreign to me," Lugo said. "Asking forgiveness for these circumstances, I want to stress that my version will always be the truth."

Lugo's election victory a year ago put an end to more than six decades of one-party rule and promised a break with corruption by political elites.