by Mark Silva and updated
President Bush will play host to Pope Benedict XVI at the start of the papal visit to the United States next week.
It's a reciprocal visit: The president visited the Pope at the Vatican last summer.
And the Vatican says the Pope will address the sex-scandal of child abuse that rocked the Catholic Church in the United States during his tour through Washington and New York.
On Tuesday, Bush will welcome Pope Benedict upon landing at Andrews Air Force Base, and on Wednesday the president will welcome his guest on the South Lawn of the White House before a private meeting in the Oval Office.
Pope Benedict will deliver a mass next week at National Stadium, the new home of the Washington Nationals. He will travel to New York and deliver a mass at Yankee Stadium.
"The intention behind my visit is to reach out spiritually to all Catholics in the U.S.A.,'' the Pope said Tuesday, with a statement delivered in English from the Vatican. "At the same time, I earnestly hope that my presence among you will be seen as a fraternal gesture towards community, and a sign of friendship for members of other religious traditions."
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, has told the Associated Press at the Vatican that Pope Benedict will deliver a message of "trust and hope'' in a meeting with American clergy at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. The Pope "will try to open the path of healing and reconciliation'' out of a crisis that has caused "much suffering for the victims, for the families of the victims and above all to the church, because it was a contradiction with the great educational mission of the church.''
(At the Vatican, Bush was greeted by the Swiss Guards, photo left, by Mark Silva.)
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Comments
Masses aren't "delivered", they're "celebrated". I thought you should know that Mr. Professional-Word-User-Guy.
Bennie has a tough row to hoe reaching out to all Catholics in the US. Most of them don't buy the Vatican party line on birth control and a celibate priesthood.
Posted by: MJ | April 9, 2008 9:04 AM
As long as the Catholic church doesn't intervene into the 12 to 20 million illegal alien simmering issue, they have the respect of all in America. However, if their hierarchy start demanding equal rights for illegal poor, uneducated that our government is subsidizing in our nation. Then anti-illegal patriots groups and million of citizens may be aggressive in a demanding in rescinding the tax exempt status for any religious entity who steps over the mark. Voters can find out the raw truth about the illegal immigration occupation, should visit NUMBERSUSA.
WE NEED THE FEDERAL SAVE ACT, to stop employers from hiring cheap illegal labor. In addition, sign the PETITION at GRASSFIRE, to halt Democrats from gutting the BORDER FENCE.
Posted by: Brittanicus | April 11, 2008 5:07 PM