Pope hits home run at Nationals baseball park

Celebrating the first public Mass on April 17 during his visit to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI not only praised the country – which has the second largest population of Catholics in the world – as a land of opportunity, but also noted that it fell short of its ideals in the treatment of the original American nations and slaves brought from Africa.

Referring for the third day in a row to the scandal of the sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy, the pope said He turned for a third day to the clergy sex abuse scandal that rocked the American church, saying “no words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse" and called for healing and reconciliation and assistance to the victims.

This echoed the pontiff’s word delivered at the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on April 16 where, in an evening liturgy, he told assembled bishops that the scandal had caused "deep shame" in the Church. He also spoke of the "enormous pain" caused by sexual deviants and their protectors have caused through such “gravely immoral behavior." He called for “a determined, collective response.” The pope has also affirmed a finding by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago that the crisis had been very poorly handled by the American bishops.

At the Mass on April 17, the pope called for Catholics to affirm their priests, whose morale has been sundered by accusations of abuse of children by their colleagues.

The pope also reminded the more than 46,000 assembled at the Washington DC Nationals baseball park of the theme of his apostolic visit “Christ Our Hope”, the pontiff said hope in the future "is very much a part of the American character."

The pope called on Catholics to set aside all divisions and devote themselves to constant conversion to the will of God. Alluding to his encyclical “Spe Salvi” and to sacred scripture, the pope reminded them that those who live in hope must have different lives. He also asked Catholics in the US to contribute towards the creation of an “intellectual culture that is truly Catholic.”

He also spoke in Spanish, calling Hispanics the future in an immigrant church. This was greeted with much applause in the audience who raised shouts of “Viva el Papa!”

On a warm and clear spring day, resplendent in scarlet pontifical vestments, the pope ascended the large dais assembled just days before on the infield where he greeted assembled prelates, priests, and laity from the archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore, and further afield.

After the consecration of the elements, the pope descended the steps from the altar to personally distribute the Eucharist to a queue of communicants – among them were priests and other religious. Catholic members of the US Congress, some of whom publicly differ with their church in matters relating to such issues as abortion and unions for homosexual couples were present but were not seen to receive the Blessed Sacrament from the pope.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in the last few days that she intended to attend the Mass and receive Communion. She, like other Catholics in public office in the US, has differed with her church. According to an Associated Press report, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) a former presidential candidate was also on hand and was seen to receive Holy Communion from a priest.

The liturgy used for the Mass was the standard used by most Roman Catholic congregations in the US, with the difference that it featured intercessory prayers in various languages including Spanish. The music, too, was also very familiar. Besides familiar hymns, “Ubi caritas” scored by composer Bob Hurd was used after the consecration, for example. Spanish- born teno