Pope laments abuse scandal in Mass with priests

c. 2008 Religion News Service NEW YORK _ Pope Benedict XVI marked the third anniversary of his pontificate by assuring priests, nuns and other members of Catholic religious orders of his “spiritual closeness” to them in the wake of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the U.S. church. The Saturday morning (April 19) […]

c. 2008 Religion News Service

NEW YORK _ Pope Benedict XVI marked the third anniversary of his pontificate by assuring priests, nuns and other members of Catholic religious orders of his “spiritual closeness” to them in the wake of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the U.S. church.

The Saturday morning (April 19) Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral was at least the fourth time since he left Rome on Tuesday that Benedict has addressed the scandal. His six-day trip has been dominated by coverage of his comments on sexual abuse and a closed-door meeting he held with abuse survivors in Washington.


On Friday, a top Vatican official traveling with Benedict hinted to reporters that the church was considering revising how it handles accusations of sexual abuse by extending its statute of limitations on when victims may come forward.

In his homily Saturday, Benedict again referred to the scandal that “has caused so much suffering. Here I simply wish to assure you, dear priests and religious, of my spiritual closeness as you strive to respond with Christian hope to the continuing challenges that this situation presents.“

After his motorcade whisked past cheering throngs lining Fifth Avenue to get a glimpse of the 81-year-old German pontiff, Benedict was greeted at the doors of the massive Gothic cathedral by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as trumpets sounded and some 3,000 Catholic clergy and nuns erupted in applause.

Benedict is the first pope to celebrate Mass at St. Patrick’s, and Benedict clearly marveled in its ornate architecture and used the landmark in his homily “as a starting point for reflection on our particular vocations.“

“The spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis, they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God.“

While the bulk of Benedict’s homily concerned harmony and spiritual life within his 1 billion-member church, his comments on the sex abuse crisis were sure to resound outside the cathedral. Many Catholic clergy have lamented a widespread drop in morale in their ranks since the scandal erupted in 2002.

The number of young men entering the priesthood has dropped drastically since 1965, when more than 58,600 priests served the church; in 2007, that figured dropped to 41,000, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. About 3,200 Catholic parishes have no resident priest, another report found.


Benedict held out hope, though, that “this will be a time of purification for each and every particular church and religious community, and a time for healing,” he said. “I urge you to work with your bishops who continue to work effectively to resolve this issue. May our Lord Jesus Christ grant the church in America a renewed sense of unity and purpose.”

At times, the pope’s homily took on the air of a spiritual pep talk. He urged Catholic clergy and nuns to be zealous in their love of God and neighbor and not let “the light of faith … be dimmed by routine” or the church to be “obscured by the sins and weaknesses of her members.”

“In a society where the church seems legalistic and `institutional’ to many people, our most urgent challenge is to communicate the joy born of faith and the experience of God’s love.”

Later on Saturday, Benedict will meet with 25,000 young Catholics, including 5,000 young seminarians at a youth rally at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers.

KRE/DEA END BURKE

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