Pope Benedict touches down in the United States
.- Shepherd One landed right on time this afternoon, bringing Pope Benedict XVI to the United States for the first time. President Bush, Laura Bush and their daughter Jenna paid Pope Benedict the honor of meeting him at the airport—the first time Bush has done so for a head of state.
The Pontiff was greeted by an honor guard of military servicemen and a crowd of 5,000 military family members.
After waving to the crowd, the Pope was transported via motorcade to the house of the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi. Normally, President Bush takes Marine One to the Andrews Air Force Base, but due to the scale of the preparations for tomorrow’s record crowd of 12,000 people at the White House, using the helicopter became impossible.
Pope Benedict will reside at the Apostolic Nunciature while in Washington and will receive an official welcome from the president on Wednesday morning at 10:30 EST.
Pope promises to “do everything possible” to heal scandal of sex abuse
.- While in transit to the United States today, Pope Benedict XVI took the opportunity to respond to the clergy sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, saying that he will do “everything possible to heal this wound” and that he will work to ensure pedophiles don’t become priests.
The Pope’s words were part of answers he gave to questions submitted in advance by reporters aboard Shepherd One, a special Alitalia airliner that is ferrying him to the United States.
«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.»
«I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future,» the pope said.
Benedict XVI also said he was determined to prevent pedophiles from becoming priests in the Roman Catholic Church.
«We will absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry,» Benedict said in English. «It is more important to have good priests than many priests. We will do everything possible to heal this wound.»
Pedophilia is «absolutely incompatible» with the priesthood,» Benedict said. The Catholic Church in the United States has been hit particularly hard on the East Coast by the sex abuse scandals, and the Pope’s visit could serve as a key step in the healing process for the Church.
The Holy Father also spoke about how he sees this, his first visit as Pope to the U.S. He described his visit as a voyage to meet a «great people and a great Church.»
When the Pope lands at Andrews Air Force Base at 4 p.m. EST, President Bush will give him the honor of picking him up at the base.
