An Act of Contrition for Pope

By Jerry Zremski, The Buffalo News, N.Y.

Apr. 16–WASHINGTON — Pope Benedict XVI began his first trip to America as pontiff Tuesday with an act of contrition over the Atlantic, telling reporters on his plane that he is “deeply ashamed” by the sex abuse scandal involving the clergy.

Yet the debacle, which has cost the church $2 billion and shaken countless parishes, seemed far from the minds of the adoring crowd that saw President Bush welcome Benedict at Andrews Air Force Base and the volunteers and visitors who were preparing for the pope’s visit.

Three years into his papacy and a day before his 81st birthday, Benedict stepped out of an Alitalia jet nicknamed “Shepherd One” and into the brilliant sunshine of a wind-swept spring afternoon.

Clutching his skullcap as his white robes shimmered in the breeze, he walked down the plane’s steps, waving with both hands and smiling at the invitation- only crowd of 1,200 composed largely of Catholic dignitaries and schoolchildren.

The children screamed with joy and the adults applauded as the pontiff shook hands with the president, first lady Laura Bush and their daughter

Jenna. Benedict visited briefly with the president before departing for the Vatican’s embassy in Washington, the Papal Nunciature, where he was to spend the night.

The pope made no public statements during his first day on the ground in Washington, but earlier on the flight from Rome, he confronted one of the most difficult issues facing the American church: the clergy sex abuse scandal that exploded in 2002 and resulted in 691 new accusations last year alone.

“I am deeply ashamed, and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future,” the pope said in English in response to questions submitted in advance, the Associated Press reported.

In particular, the pope reiterated the Vatican’s intention to get tough with priests who abuse members of the flock.

“We will absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry,” he said. “It is more important to have good priests than many priests. We will do everything possible to heal this wound.”

Peter Isely, a spokesman for the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said the pontiff had not done nearly enough.

“Three years into his papacy, Benedict has done essentially what John Paul II did — make a few vague, brief remarks about the continuing crisis, and nothing more,” Isely said. “It’s easy and tempting to continually focus on the pedophile priests themselves. It’s harder but crucial to focus on the broader problem: complicity in the rest of the church hierarchy.”

Benedict, however, spoke primarily about the priests and the damage they did to the church and its children.

“It is a great suffering for the church in the United States and for the church in general and for me personally that this could happen,” Benedict said. “It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission . . . to these children.”

Benedict is expected to address the clergy abuse scandal again during his six-day visit to the United States, which will be split between Washington and New York.

His first day in Washington was largely private. After his brief meeting with Bush, the pontiff was to have dinner with church officials in the Papal Nunciature.

The pontiff is seeing Bush again this morning when a crowd of 9,000 is expected to greet Benedict on the South Lawn of the White House. At noon, he is to depart by “Pope-mobile” and greet thousands more who are expected to line the route of his motorcade.

Later in the day, the pope will travel to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, America’s largest Catholic church, for vespers and a meeting with U.S. Catholic bishops — including Bishop Edward U. Kmiec of the Diocese of Buffalo.

Thursday’s agenda includes a Mass at Nationals Park, the city’s new baseball stadium, and a meeting with Catholic educators, including several from Catholic colleges and universities in Western New York.

With the pope arriving in Washington at 3:53 p.m. and no public events planned beyond his arrival, Tuesday was largely a day of anticipation for Washington- area Catholics and visitors lucky enough to score tickets to Thursday’s Mass.

Workers labored through the day to convert Nationals Park into an outdoor cathedral, laying down flooring and folding chairs while erecting a huge altar in center field.

Dozens of volunteers filled the stands Tuesday afternoon to practice for what seems like an ambitious task.

“The idea is to serve Communion for 47,000 people in 20 minutes,” said Abby Wihl, 20, an American University sophomore who volunteered to help make sure things proceed smoothly in the aisles.

Volunteers said they will be honored to see the pontiff in person. “To me, his presence here is evidence of God in our lives,” Wihl said.

Jenny Sparks, another volunteer who will be helping with Communion, saw the pope on a pilgrimage to Rome but said she will be especially thrilled to see him again in the nation’s capital. “It means the world to me,” said Sparks, 19, also an American U student.

Benedict’s trip to the United States is the first by a pontiff since a brief trip to St. Louis by Pope John Paul II in 1999.

Washington-area Catholics are abuzz about the visit. At the National Shrine at noontime Tuesday, they stood eight deep at the kiosk where Cesar Elias sold papal portraits and coffee mugs, not to mention $18 T-shirts that said “Property of Benedict XVI.”

Gary Scheidhauer, 42, of Crofton, Md., visited the shrine with his family, including his 5- month-old son, Nicholas.

After wheeling Nicholas’ baby carriage up next to the posterboard pontiff and taking a picture, Scheidhauer said he was lucky to be able to get six tickets to Thursday’s Mass through a lottery conducted by the Diocese of Baltimore.

Tickets for the Mass were going for more than $200 apiece on eBay. And when Scheidhauer called the Baltimore Diocese to turn back an extra ticket, he found a willing taker: a priest.

“They took care of the D.C. priests,” Scheidhauer said, “but this priest in Baltimore, even he needed a ticket.”

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