'Move forward' in faith, pope urges Catholics at Yankee Stadium Mass

By Carol Zimmermann
Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- At Yankee Stadium, transformed into an open-air church April 20, Pope Benedict XVI urged more than 57,000 Catholics to "move forward with firm resolve" in continuing the legacy of faith set in motion by the country's first Catholics.

"Follow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you!" he told the stadium congregation on a cool, breezy and overcast afternoon.

"Past generations have left you an impressive legacy," he said, adding that "on these solid foundations the future of the church in America, must even now begin to rise."

The congregation welcomed the pope to by waving gold and white handkerchiefs and cheering "Benedetto" ("Benedict" in Italian) upon his arrival and immediately after his homily.

They cheered loudly and yelled, "We love you" while waving handkerchiefs upon the pope's final procession from the ball field on his last Mass during his six-day visit to the United States.

During the pope's homily they applauded his message of defending the rights of "unborn child in the mother's womb" and his encouragement to young men and young women to "follow in the footsteps of Christ, who was willing to lay down his life for his friends."

The crowd also applauded at the pope's final words of his homily, saying that Jesus is the way that leads to eternal happiness ... and the life who brings ever new joy and hope, to us and to our world."

The pope made several references to freedom and said society "rightly places a high value on personal freedom," yet he cautioned that American Catholics should "use wisely the blessings of freedom" to "build a future of hope for coming generations."

The Mass was a celebration of the 200th anniversaries of the archdioceses of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville, Ky., and of the elevation of Baltimore to an archdiocese. It was from Baltimore, the nation's first diocese, that the other four were created.

Banners covering the scoreboard and located near the jumbo screens honored each archdiocese; each was named in welcoming remarks by New York Cardinal Edward M. Egan.

The ballpark, known by many as the "house that Ruth built," a reference to famous Yankee Babe Ruth, took on a entirely different look with an altar and papal throne placed over second base and all billboards covered with cloth. Pennant flags were replaced with flags of purple, yellow and white.

The pope and U.S. cardinals emerged for the opening procession from the players' dugout. Papal Masses are not new to this stadium, which was built in 1923 and is in its last season. A new stadium is being built right beside it. Pope Paul VI celebrated Mass at the stadium in 1965 and Pope John Paul II did in 1979.

Prior to the beginning of Mass, the congregation lined the concourses for food and some purchased rosaries and T-shirts commemorating Pope Benedict's U.S. visit.

Sister Thomas Donohue, a Sister of Charity from Nanuet, N.Y., who wore a gold kerchief around her neck, said before the Mass that she had a "sense of God's presence here."

"There is a sense of peace, a sense of the Holy Spirit being with us," she told Catholic News Service. Although she eagerly anticipated seeing the pope, she was inspired to see so many in the stadium, especially those who traveled great distances.

"They have a need to be in this man's presence," she said, "and he is able to bring us God's spirit."

In his homily, the pope praised the early church in the United States for establishing "a network of churches, educational, health care and social institutions which have long been the hallmarks of the church in this land." He also noted that "in this land of religious liberty," early Catholics found freedom not only to practice their faith fur but participate fully in public life.

"From a small flock," he said, the U.S. church has been united in its profession of faith and "contributed significantly to the growth of American society as a whole."

The pope acknowledged that the apostles and then the early church in the U.S. faced challenges in living out their faith, not unlike U.S. Catholics today.

For men and women to truly live out their faith, he said, Catholics must face challenges with confidence and "not lose heart in the face of resistance, adversity and scandal."

Although he alluded to scandal in a general way, he did not speak of the church's sexual abuse scandal as he did in many other venues during his U.S. visit.

Pope Benedict praised the U.S. Catholic Church for being "outstanding in its prophetic witness in the defense of life, in the education of the young, in care for the poor, the sick and the stranger in your midst."

He urged Catholics to pray fervently for the coming of the kingdom but urged them to at the same time be "constantly alert for the signs of its presence and working for its growth in every sector of society."

This "means overcoming every separation between faith and life and countering the false gospels of freedom and happiness," he said. "It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life and ... working to enrich American society and culture" as well as "never losing sight of that great hope which gives meaning and value to all other hopes which inspire our lives."

The pope made a special appeal to young people, urging them to "step forward and take up the responsibility which your faith in Christ sets before you."

"Young men and women of America, I urge you; open your hearts to the Lord's call to follow him in the priesthood and religious life."

He also urged other Catholics to give these young people, whom he called "the future of the church," all the prayer and support they can give them.

The message echoed what he had told them the previous night at a rally for seminarians and young people at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers.

Trish Bailey, a 32-year-old from Rochester, who attended the rally and also was at the Yankee Stadium Mass, said: "It feels like a tremendous privilege that the Holy Father takes such interest in America and youth."

The pope's message of encouragement to young people "needs to be heard," she said. "He believes in us more than we believe in ourselves," she added.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pope's Visit to Ground Zero Offers Hope to Families of 9/11 Victims

At Ground Zero, pope prays for grieving, hateful

NEW YORK — On the day his firefighter son was lost, killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Deputy Fire Chief James Riches also lost some of his faith.

On Sunday, when Pope Benedict XVI visited ground zero to pray at the site of the twin towers, he felt like he got it back.

"Our faith was destroyed that day. We said 'Where was God?' on 9/11, but he's come back here today and they've restored our faith," Riches, who is Catholic, said after the pope's visit.

All of Riches' four sons became firefighters, including Jimmy, who was killed at age 29 in the World Trade Center attacks along with more than 2,700 others.

Another son, Tom, who became a firefighter after his brother's death, was among those invited through a lottery to join the pontiff in the pit where the towers once stood.

"When the pope came down, it was very comforting," he said. "I'm glad because it's always been sacred ground to me."

Benedict invited 24 people with ties to ground zero to join him Sunday morning, a group that included survivors, victims' relatives and rescue workers.

After arriving in the popemobile, the pontiff knelt in silent prayer for a few moments, then rose to light a memorial candle.

He prayed for peace, for the 9/11 victims who died in New York, Washington and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and for those sickened in the aftermath of the attacks.

"God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events," Benedict said. "Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here may not have been lost in vain."

Some victims' relatives had hoped the pope would specifically bless the hundreds of people killed at ground zero whose remains were never identified.

They also wanted him to pray for the removal and burial of any remains that may have been taken to the Fresh Kills garbage dump on Staten Island.

The pope's prayers weren't that specific, however, disappointing some of the victims' relatives.

Rosemary Cain, whose firefighter son George perished on Sept. 11, 2001, wanted Benedict to address the desire of some families to keep searching for remains at both ground zero and the dump so they can be buried properly.

"Nothing about Fresh Kills was addressed. Nothing about the inhumanity to the remains was addressed," she said. "I know the souls will not rest peacefully until they are buried with respect and dignity."

The World Trade Center Families for Proper Burial sued the city in 2005, claiming that officials rushed the cleanup at ground zero and failed to deliver on a promise to sift debris taken to the dump to find body parts, remains and personal belongings. More than 1,700 bone fragments have been recovered in just the past two years in and around ground zero.

While Cain was appreciative of the pope's visit, she also was saddened at not being able to attend in person. "It broke my heart not to be there," she said.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pope Celebrates Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC, Prays for Healing From Church Sex Scandal

NEW YORK — Pope Benedict XVI returned to the clergy sex abuse scandal as he preached Saturday in St. Patrick's cathedral, assuring priests and nuns that he was close to them as they battled the damage left by the scandal.

Addressing some 3,000 people, most of them clergy, he called it a time for purification and healing.

"I simply wish to assure you, dear priests and religious, of my spiritual closeness as you strive to respond with Christian hope to he continuing challenges that this situation presents," Benedict said.

He also urged them to cooperate with bishops, who he said were working to resolve the crisis.

Saturday was the third anniversary of Benedict's election as pope and he was feted by cardinals and bishops, priests and nuns who jammed the magnificent Gothic church on Fifth Avenue.

Benedict was clearly moved after the Vatican's No. 2 official, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and others offered him best wishes for the anniversary at the end of the Mass. The pope said that he, like St. Peter, was a "man with his faults."

Benedict then led a procession out the center aisle, blessing the cheering worshippers.

Upon arriving, he was met outside by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, while former Mayor Rudy Giuliani was inside.

Benedict blessed the cathedral with holy water before making his way to the altar of the landmark church. As the pope walked down the center aisle, nuns clutched at his robes, showing an enthusiasm for his presence that has spread among the general public.

The Vatican said the German-born pope came outside from his residence on the Upper East Side Friday night to greet a crowd of more than 500 people who had lined up for hours. He shook hands and blessed the crowd before returning inside.

At the cathedral, Benedict touched on the theme of his trip — Christian hope — saying he wanted to communicate the joy born of faith to a cynical world.

But since the start of his trip Tuesday, Benedict has concentrated on the clergy sex abuse scandal that has shaken the U.S. church. He has said that it is more important to have good priests than many priests.

A top Vatican official now says the Roman Catholic Church is weighing a further change to clean up the clergy: revising church law so predators could be more easily removed.

"It's possible," said Cardinal William Levada, head of the Vatican office that reviews abuse claims against priests worldwide.

"There are some things under consideration that I'm not able to say," Levada told reporters Friday, in a meeting at Time magazine's offices. A Vatican spokesman stressed Saturday that no immediate changes are planned.

It is the latest signal during Benedict's first papal visit to America that he is intent on purifying the priesthood as he affirms traditional Catholic practices and teaching.

He spoke privately with victims — in what is believed to be the first time a pope has met with people who had been abused by priests. He also told bishops the problem had sometimes been very "badly handled" — an indirect but clear papal admonition.

Still, Benedict has offered support to America's clergy during his visit.

He said priests who had done nothing wrong had been unfairly tarred by the crisis. More than 4,000 clergy have been accused of molesting minors in the U.S. since 1950. Abuse-related costs have surpassed $2 billion in that period, with much of the payouts in just the last six years. But most of the recent claims concern wrongdoing that occurred decades ago.

At the height of the scandal, which erupted in 2002 with the case of one predator in the Archdiocese of Boston, the shame was so intense that some priests took off their clergy collars before going out in public. Benedict compared their suffering to "Christ in his Passion."

However, morale has been improving as the intensity of the crisis has eased.

Seminary rectors say that their students are eager to show through their service to parishioners that the priesthood can still be a noble calling.

Yet Catholic clergy face other challenges beyond fallout from the abuse problem.

The priesthood has been shrinking for decades. More than 3,200 of the 18,600 U.S. parishes don't have resident priests, according to the Center for Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. More lay people than clergy work full-time in the churches.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops created a recruitment campaign called "Fishers of Men," that encourages priests to invite young men to consider entering the priesthood.

Dioceses have been hiring recruiters to travel overseas to find clergy candidates. The number of priests from other countries has grown so steadily that some seminaries are adding English classes, hiring accent reduction tutors and providing courses on American culture.

International recruitment is motivated partly by the exploding demand for Spanish speakers for the Hispanic immigrants filling the pews.

Leading a Mass in Nationals Park in Washington Thursday, Benedict asked the thousands of parishioners who crammed the stadium to "love your priests, and to affirm them in the excellent work that they do."

Later Saturday in New York, Benedict will speak to seminarians at a youth rally. Then on Sunday, the final day of his trip, he will visit ground zero and hold a Mass at Yankee Stadium.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pope, at U.N., says no government or religion can limit human rights

By Cindy Wooden and Benedicta Cipolla
Catholic News Service

UNITED NATIONS (CNS) -- Neither government nor religion has a right to change or limit human rights, because those rights flow from the dignity of each person created in God's image, Pope Benedict XVI said.

In his April 18 speech to the U.N. General Assembly, the pope insisted that human rights cannot be limited or rewritten on the basis of national interests or majority rule.

But he also said the role of religions is not to dictate government policy, but to help their members strive to find the truth, including the truth about the dignity of all people even if their religious views are different.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the pope and met privately with him before the pope addressed the General Assembly.

In his public welcoming remarks, the U.N. leader said, "The United Nations is a secular institution, composed of 192 states. We have six official languages but no official religion. We do not have a chapel -- though we do have a meditation room.

"But if you ask those of us who work for the United Nations what motivates us, many of us reply in a language of faith," he said. "We see what we do not only as a job, but as a mission. Indeed, mission is the word we use most often for our work around the world -- from peace and security to development to human rights.

"Your Holiness, in so many ways, our mission unites us with yours," he said.

The pope acknowledged that common ground not only in his speech, but also in a brief homage to U.N. staff members and peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Before leaving U.N. headquarters, he stopped before the war-scarred U.N. flag that had flown outside the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2003.

Placed above the words "Fallen in the cause of peace," the flag has become a memorial, particularly to Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N. envoy to Iraq who was killed in Baghdad in August 2003.

Before addressing the General Assembly, the pope signed a visitor's book, writing in Latin: "Erit opus iustitiae pax (Is 32:17) 18.IV.2008 Benedictus XVI." The Latin quote from the Book of Isaiah is translated in the New American Bible as "Justice will bring about peace."

In his address to the General Assembly, the German-born Pope Benedict said he came to the United Nations as a sign of his esteem for the organization, founded after the devastation of World War II when several governments ignored the fact that human beings were created by God and that the basic principles of right and wrong are written in the heart of each person.

"In consequence," he said, "freedom and human dignity were grossly violated."

The pope, always a strong supporter of the United Nations and its efforts to avoid conflicts and end wars, insisted that when one country has a problem with another, it must not act unilaterally, but seek the assistance of the United Nations.

"This is all the more necessary at a time when we experience the obvious paradox of a multilateral consensus that continues to be in crisis because it is still subordinated to the decisions of a few, whereas the world's problems call for interventions in the form of collective action by the international community," he said.

As expected, Pope Benedict paid tribute to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted 60 years ago.

The pope said the document -- proclaiming the equality of all people, the basic right to life and to freedom, liberty of conscience and the free practice of religion -- was the result of "a convergence of different religious and cultural traditions."

The traditions, he said, were determined to ensure that concern for and protection of the human person was the center of attention in the workings of societies, governments and institutions.

"The rights recognized and expounded in the declaration apply to everyone by virtue of the common origin of the person, who remains the high point of God's creative design for the world and for history," the pope said.

"They are based on the natural law inscribed on human hearts and present in different cultures and civilizations," he said.

Pope Benedict said an attempt to deny that human rights have a foundation in the way God created human beings and that they are common to all people creates a real risk that they will be limited "in the name of different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks."

The pope said it is essential that people and governments recognize they are not the creators of human rights and they cannot limit them.

Religious freedom is an essential human right, he said, and when exercised as a search for truth, religion can promote a broader recognition of human rights.

"A vision of life firmly anchored in the religious dimension can help to achieve this since recognition of the transcendent value of every man and woman favors conversion of heart, which then leads to a commitment to resist violence, terrorism and war and to promote justice and peace," the pope said.

Pope Benedict said interreligious dialogue contributes to global peace and the defense of human rights when it brings believers together in their search for truth.

The task of religions, he said, "is to propose a vision of faith not in terms of intolerance, discrimination and conflict, but in terms of complete respect for truth, coexistence, rights and reconciliation."

While religions have an obligation to promote recognition of human rights, they also must defend the rights of their members to bring the values of their faith to bear on the decisions they make as citizens.

"It is inconceivable, then, that believers should have to suppress a part of themselves -- their faith -- in order to be active citizens," he said. "It should never be necessary to deny God in order to enjoy one's rights."

The pope asked the United Nations and the world's governments to make special efforts to defend religious freedom in societies where extreme secularism tends to push believers out of the public sphere and where one religion has been adopted as the national religion and other believers suffer discrimination or oppression.

The pope also told the United Nations that upholding all human rights for all residents of a country is a measure of that country's progress in working for the common good.

In addition, he said, "the promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups and for increasing security."

When dignity is attacked and when people live in hardship and despair, he said, they become "easy prey to the call to violence."

After speaking to the General Assembly, the pope met privately with its president and the president of the Security Council. Then he returned to the General Assembly hall, where he addressed members of the U.N. staff.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Benedict expresses joy at visit to synagogue

New York, Apr 18, 2008 / 04:52 pm (CNA).- On his way to an ecumenical prayer service at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Pope Benedict made a quick stop at Park East Synagogue and greeted the worshippers gathered there.

The Pope was greeted by the synagogue’s chief rabbi, who recalled the progress of Catholic-Jewish relations over the past 45 years and invoked the time of renewal marked by the Passover as a sign of hope for inter-religious dialogue.

“Shalom!” the Pope greeted the Jewish congregation with.

“It is with joy that I come here, just a few hours before the celebration of your Pesah, to express my respect and esteem for the Jewish community in New York City,” he said.

Benedict also reflected on the setting of his brief visit, saying, “I find it moving to recall that Jesus, as a young boy, heard the words of Scripture and prayed in a place such as this.”

He concluded his words with a word of encouragement for the synagogue.

“I know that the Jewish community make a valuable contribution to the life of the city, and I encourage all of you to continue building bridges of friendship with all the many different ethnic and religious groups present in your neighborhood. I assure you most especially of my closeness at this time, as you prepare to celebrate the great deeds of the Almighty, and to sing the praises of Him who has worked such wonders for his people. I would ask those of you who are present to pass on my greetings and good wishes to all the members of the Jewish community. Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

The two leaders also exchanged gifts. Pope Benedict gave Rabbi Schneier a medieval Jewish manuscript from the Vatican and Rabbi Schneier gave the Pope a golden plate used for the Passover celebration.

Before the Pope processed out of the synagogue, a group of children sang for him and presented him with a bouquet of flowers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pope meets with victims of clergy sex abuse
Pope meets privately with victims of clergy sex abuse, offers prayers

By VICTOR L. SIMPSON Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON Apr 17, 2008 (AP)

Pope Benedict XVI, after urging bishops, priests and parishioners to heal the wounds caused by the clergy sex abuse scandal, talked and prayed privately with survivors Thursday in what was believed to be a first-ever meeting between a pontiff and abuse victims.

The Rev. Federico Lombardi, a papal spokesman, said that Benedict and Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley met with a group of five or six victims for about 25 minutes in the chapel of the papal embassy, offering them encouragement and hope.

Lombardi said the pope told the survivors he would pray for them, their families and all victims of clergy sex abuse. Each of the victims spent a few minutes with Benedict privately. Some were in tears during the meeting, Lombardi said.

Benedict has spoken repeatedly about the abuse crisis during his first trip to the United States as pope.

He called the crisis a cause of "deep shame," pledged to keep pedophiles out of the priesthood and decried the "enormous pain" that communities have suffered from such "gravely immoral behavior" by priest.

He told the nation's bishops that the crisis was "sometimes very badly handled," and said they must reach out with love and compassion to victims. At an open air Mass on Thursday at Nationals Park, he also urged Catholic parishioners to do what they can to reach out to victims.

Thousands of priests have been accused of molesting minors in the U.S. since 1950 and the church has paid out more than $2 billion, much of it in just the last six years, when the case of a serial molester in Boston gained national attention and prompted many victims to step forward.

Then-Boston Archbishop Bernard Law was forced to step down when it became apparent that he had allowed accused priests to be shuffled from parish-to-parish.

Gary Bergeron, an outspoken survivor of clergy sex abuse from Boston who was not in Thursday's session, failed in his attempt to meet with Pope John Paul II, Benedict's predecessor, when he spent a week at the Vatican a few years ago.

He called Thursday's meeting "a long-sought-for step in the right direction."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Benedict XVI calls for renewal of American Church and evangelization

Washington DC, Apr 17, 2008 / 10:07 am (CNA).- Before a crowd of 50,000 people from around the United States, Pope Benedict XVI described the Church in America and society as a whole as being at a crossroads. American Catholics must use this moment to seek conversion, the power of the Holy Spirit and as a chance to bring the witness of Christ to a society in crisis, he said.

The Pope began his homily by recalling the anniversaries of several American dioceses and the witness of the Catholics of the past who built up the Church in these areas.

Given this past, “the Church in the United States is now called to look to the future, firmly grounded in the faith passed on by previous generations, and ready to meet new challenges - challenges no less demanding than those faced by your forebears - with the hope born of God's love, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit”.

He continued by explaining his purpose in his trip. “I have come to repeat the Apostle's urgent call to conversion and the forgiveness of sins, and to implore from the Lord a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church in this country.”

Once forgiveness and conversion occur, the Holy Father prayed that Catholics in America will use this momentus occasion “to reaffirm their unity in the apostolic faith, to offer their contemporaries a convincing account of the hope which inspires them (cf. 1 Pet 3:15), and to be renewed in missionary zeal for the extension of God's Kingdom.”

“The world needs this witness! Pope Benedict XVI exclaimed.”

“Who can deny that the present moment is a crossroads, not only for the Church in America but also for society as a whole?” he said.

Those who have “taken up the challenge of the Second Vatican Council, so often reiterated by Pope John Paul II, and committed their lives to the new evangelization” also received the encouragement of the Pope.

While highlighting the progress that has been already made in teaching the faith in the US, Pope Benedict called for the cultivation of “a mindset, an intellectual ‘culture’, which is genuinely Catholic, confident in the profound harmony of faith and reason, and prepared to bring the richness of faith's vision to bear on the urgent issues which affect the future of American society.”

The Pope then turned to how “Americans have always been a people of hope”. He explained that, “It is in the context of this hope born of God's love and fidelity that I acknowledge the pain which the Church in America has experienced as a result of the sexual abuse of minors.

“No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse. It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention. Nor can I adequately describe the damage that has occurred within the community of the Church. Great efforts have already been made to deal honestly and fairly with this tragic situation, and to ensure that children - whom our Lord loves so deeply (cf. Mk 10:14), and who are our greatest treasure - can grow up in a safe environment. These efforts to protect children must continue. Yesterday I spoke with your Bishops about this. Today I encourage each of you to do what you can to foster healing and reconciliation, and to assist those who have been hurt.”

One facet of the sex abuse scandal that has been largely ignored by the press—the effect of the scandal on innocent priests—also received the Pope’s special attention. “Also, I ask you to love your priests, and to affirm them in the excellent work that they do,” the Holy Father said.

In closing, the Pope returned to his call to American Catholics for a renewal of the Church in America, saying that it “depends on the renewal of the practice of Penance and the growth in holiness which that sacrament both inspires and accomplishes.”

Being a people of hope, the Pope called on Americans to “continue to be a leaven of evangelical hope in American society, striving to bring the light and truth of the Gospel to the task of building an ever more just and free world for generations yet to come.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pope calls on US bishops to remove
barriers to encounter with God

PRAYER AT SHRINE

Washington DC, Apr 16, 2008 / 06:26 pm (CNA).- Speaking to all 350 bishops of the United States in Washington D.C. this evening, Benedict XVI challenged the Church leaders to bring the message of hope in Christ to the country by “clearing away some of the barriers” to “an encounter with the living God". Among the barriers he mentioned are the view that faith can be separated from public actions, materialism and individualism.

The discourse to the assembled Bishops of the United States by Benedict XVI focused on their duty to “sow the seeds of the Gospel”. The Pope elaborated on this by asking, “how, in the twenty-first century, a bishop can best fulfill the call to "make all things new in Christ, our hope"? How can he lead his people to "an encounter with the living God", the source of that life-transforming hope of which the Gospel speaks? Perhaps he needs to begin by clearing away some of the barriers to such an encounter.”

One of the main barriers that prevents this seed from being planted, is the influence of secularism: a worldview that divides one’s faith from their public actions. This leads to attitudes where “practicing Catholics to ignore or exploit the poor and the marginalized, to promote sexual behavior contrary to Catholic moral teaching, or to adopt positions that contradict the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death”.

The Holy Father then emphasized that, “Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted. Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel.”

Another way that the churchmen should strive to prevent the division of faith from life in the culture is by strengthening marriage.

The Pope told the bishops that their task is to boldly proclaim “the arguments from faith and reason in favor of the institution of marriage, understood as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, open to the transmission of life. This message should resonate with people today, because it is essentially an unconditional and unreserved "yes" to life, a "yes" to love, and a "yes" to the aspirations at the heart of our common humanity, as we strive to fulfill our deep yearning for intimacy with others and with the Lord.”
The Pope also tackled the problem of sexual abuse.

First, he said, the bishops must become vocal advocates for bringing the truth about sexuality to the modern culture through modern mass communication. By way of a solution, the Pontiff called on the bishops to reinvigorate their priests and faithful with their own example of prayer.

Time spent in prayer is never wasted, however urgent the duties that press upon us from every side, Pope Benedict said.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oval Office Talk Touches on Iraq, Immigration, Pope and Bush Also Devote "Considerable Time" to Mideast

WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 16, 2008 (Zenit.org).- When Benedict XVI and U.S. President George Bush sat down to talk privately in the Oval Office today, their attention turned to a range of issues from Iraq to immigration.

The Pope visited the White House this morning on the first full day of his five-day, two-city U.S. trip. Bush welcomed him with a 9,000-guest party and a huge light yellow cake in celebration of his 81st birthday today.

The president spoke to the Holy Father about his view of the America the Pope will see during his apostolic journey.

"Here in America you'll find a nation of prayer," Bush said. "Millions of Americans have been praying for your visit, and millions look forward to praying with you this week."

He continued: "Here in America you'll find a nation that welcomes the role of faith in the public square. […] We believe in religious liberty. We also believe that a love for freedom and a common moral law are written into every human heart, and that these constitute the firm foundation on which any successful free society must be built."

The president said that America is a fully modern nation, "yet guided by ancient and eternal truths." And he called it one of the most religious nations on earth.

"This [religiosity] is one of our country's greatest strengths, and one of the reasons that our land remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for millions across the world," Bush continued. "Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people whose hearts are open to your message of hope. And America and the world need this message."

Benedict XVI himself mentioned the relationship between faith and the secular state in America, when he spoke with journalists en route to the United States on Tuesday.

He lauded the U.S. model of this relationship and suggested that it is something Europe should imitate.

Dignity and life

Later in the morning, the two leaders retreated to the Oval Office for a private meeting. A joint Vatican-U.S. statement reported that the president thanked the Pope for his desire to visit ground zero, where the World Trade Center stood prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The statement said the Pope and Bush discussed a number of topics: "the respect of the dignity of the human person; the defense and promotion of life, matrimony and the family; the education of future generations; human rights and religious freedom; sustainable development and the struggle against poverty and pandemics, especially in Africa."

"The two reaffirmed their total rejection of terrorism as well as the manipulation of religion to justify immoral and violent acts against innocents," the communiqué continued. "They further touched on the need to confront terrorism with appropriate means that respect the human person and his or her rights."

Among their mutual concerns was the theme of the Middle East.

The statement reported that the Pontiff and Bush "devoted considerable time in their discussions" to this topic.

They particularly focused on "resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict in line with the vision of two states living side-by-side in peace and security, their mutual support for the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon, and their common concern for the situation in Iraq and particularly the precarious state of Christian communities there and elsewhere in the region. The Holy Father and the president expressed hope for an end to violence and for a prompt and comprehensive solution to the crises which afflict the region."

Finally, the statement confirmed that Benedict XVI and Bush discussed the situation of Latin America, and in particular the issue of immigrants.

They expressed "the need for a coordinated policy regarding immigration, especially their humane treatment and the well being of their families."

Bearing gifts

Benedict XVI presented Bush a gift marking his visit: a mosaic called "St. Peter's Square," based on a printing from the 19th century.

Measuring 60 by 35 centimeters (23.6 by 13.8 inches), the work was completed using polychrome enamels applied with an oil-based adhesive to a metallic base. The adhesive was prepared according to the same centuries-old formula used to affix the mosaics found in St. Peter's Basilica.

Pope Benedict XVI visits the White House

WASHINGTON — Pope Benedict XVI has been welcomed at the White House with pomp and pageantry and cheering from thousands of excited people spread across the South Lawn.

Benedict is only the second pope to visit the White House and the first in 29 years. He arrived in picture-perfect spring weather on his 81st birthday. More than 9,000 guests were invited to the ceremony, the largest in White House history.

President Bush and his wife, Laura, stood on the driveway to welcome the pontiff as he stepped from his limousine. The pope greeted them with a two-handed handshake. A 21-gun salute boomed in honor of the pope as the Marine Band played the national anthem of the Holy See.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pope Benedict greeted by Bush
as he begins first U.S. visit

ARRIVAL IN U.S.

By Catholic News Service

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (CNS) -- Welcomed by U.S. President George W. Bush and an array of church officials, Pope Benedict XVI began his first pastoral visit to the United States as pope April 15.

The papal plane landed under an almost cloudless sky at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland at 3:51 p.m. EDT, nearly 10 minutes ahead of schedule. The pope was to spend the next two days in Washington before traveling to New York April 18.

Among those greeting the pope were Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States; Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington; Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services; Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., USCCB vice president; and Mary Ann Glendon, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.

Although the two spoke privately for less than 10 minutes in a building on the air base grounds, neither Bush nor the pope delivered any formal remarks at the air base. The pope's official welcome was to take place the next day at the White House.

In their meeting, Pope Benedict sat at a small round table, and the pontiff accepted a glass of juice. The president sat on the pope's right and the first lady on the pope's left. Cardinal George and Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state, also were at the table.

It was the first time in his presidency that Bush had gone to Andrews to welcome any head of state. The air base has hosted more than 300 arrivals or departures by heads of state since 2006.

Joining the president in greeting Pope Benedict were first lady Laura Bush and the Bushes' daughter Jenna.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said at an April 15 briefing before the pope's arrival that Bush would tell the pontiff at the White House that "the hearts of the American people are open to the Holy Father's message of hope."

Pope Benedict "will hear from the president that America and the world need to hear his message that God is love, that human life is sacred, that we all must be guided by common moral law, and that we have responsibilities to care for our brothers and sisters in need at home and across the world," Perino added.

Perino admitted that the pope and the president disagreed on issues such as the war in Iraq and the death penalty but said that "there is much more agreement between these two leaders than there is disagreement."

"I really don't think that the president is planning to spend a lot of time talking about the issues of Iraq with the pope," she said. "But I do think that the root cause of ... terrorism and extremism is something that they will talk about."

At Andrews, the wind ensemble from Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., provided entertainment while a crowd of approximately 1,200 people assembled before the pope's arrival. The group was chosen to perform because they were going to Disney World for a competition later in the week and would miss the April 17 papal Mass at Nationals Park in Washington.

After Pope Benedict spoke privately with the president, he and Archbishop Sambi boarded a limousine that was to take them to the apostolic nunciature, where the pope was to spend the night.

Pope meets with victims of clergy sex abuse Pope meets privately with victims of clergy sex abuse, offers prayers

Oval Office Talk Touches on Iraq, Immigration, Pope and Bush Also Devote "Considerable Time" to Mideast

Pope meets with victims of clergy sex abuse
Pope meets privately with victims of clergy sex abuse, offers prayers