IF there was a time that I wished I was in the United States, then it would be right now, when the leader of the world’s 1.2 Billion Roman Catholics Pope Benedict XVI makes his first apostolic journey to that nation. His visit comes at a time that the holy Roman Catholic Church is under attack from all corners, including the recent sex-abuse scandals that have rocked the Church, but not the faith of tens of millions worldwide, who have continued under these dark times to practice the faith that was handed down by the apostles. The Holy Father was quoted saying on his way to Washington while on the papal plane ‘Shepherd 1’ that he was “deeply ashamed” of the sex-abuse scandals.

In a recent interview with Eternal Word Television Global Catholic Network (EWTN) host Raymond Arroyo, President Bush said that when he looks into the eyes of Pope Benedict he sees God. The pope’s visit to the U.S. began on Tuesday, April 15 and ends on Sunday, April 20. He has a packed itinerary that consists of meetings, visits to holy sites and buildings, and several mega-Masses. On Wednesday, the Holy Father meets privately with the U.S. President and the First Lady. Shortly after, he will gather with U.S. Bishops for a prayer service and an address at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. On Thursday he will offer Mass at the New Nationals Park in Washington DC. Also on Thursday Pope Benedict XVI will address hundreds of Catholic University heads and diocesan superintendents on the importance of Catholic education at the Catholic University of America. Pope Benedict XVI meets with representatives of various religions for a prayer service at the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington D.C. on Thursday, April 17, 6.00 pm.

His New York leg of the tour begins on Friday as he arrives at JFK Airport. Shortly after arriving he will address the United Nations. Later that day he will hold a Prayer service with leaders from other Christian denominations at St. Joseph’s, founded by German Catholics, in Manhattan. On Saturday he will say Mass for priests, deacons and members of religious orders at St. Patrick¹s Cathedral in the heart of New York City. Then Pope Benedict XVI will meet with thousands of young people from around the country; the event includes a rally/prayer service and a speech from the Pope. He will visit Ground Zero on Sunday morning. And then, the mega- event of his visit: the event that thousands will attend; Pope Benedict will celebrate Holy Mass in front of thousands in a jam-packed Yankees Stadium in New York City. That event will bring his historic apostolic journey to the States to an end.

Speaking in English, he looked forward to the visit, which includes a major address at the United Nations headquarters in New York and 14 other encounters. He summarized the message he will bring throughout his trip.

“With the various groups I shall meet, my intention is to share Our Lord’s word of life. In Christ is our hope,” he said. “Christ is the foundation of our hope for peace, for justice and for the freedom that flows from God’s law fulfilled in his commandment to love one another,” he said.

“Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you all to pray for the success of my visit, so that it may be a time of spiritual renewal for all Americans,” he said. In his Italian remarks, the Pope said he was entrusting to Mary “the special missionary experience that I will have over the coming days.” Indeed he entrusted the special lady that Millions of Christians call their own mother. It is her picture that adorns the top of his pope- mobiles, specially placed there for his protection.

The pope spoke on the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, and the theme of his main talk was that vocation and mission are inseparable for every Christian, whether they are priests, men or women religious, or married couples.

President Bush made history when he greeted the first head of state (of the Vatican) on an airport tarmac last Tuesday afternoon. It never happened before that. When asked why he was doing this, President Bush said, “Because he is a really important figure in a lot of ways. One, he speaks for millions. Two, he doesn’t come as a politician; he comes as a man of faith. And, three, that I so subscribe to his notion that there are — there’s right and wrong in life, that moral relativism has a danger of undermining the capacity to have more hopeful and free societies, that I want to honour his convictions, as well.

When asked why he believes U.S. relations with the Holy See are important, he said, “Well, first of all, it’s important to me because the Holy Father represents and stands for some values that I think are important for the health of the country, and when he comes to America, millions of my fellow citizens will be hanging on his every word. And that’s why it’s important.” The Vatican has made clear recently its voice on many issues and has found different stances on many of the failed policies of George W. Bush including the Iraq war.

There are some 70 million Roman Catholics in the United States, and although it has been three years or so since this current Bishop of Rome has been in office, American Catholics still have little idea as to who their leader is in terms of the man himself. It is agreed by many that his predecessor John Paul the Great was more loved, and known, since they say he was an extrovert, however, Benedict XVI is known more for his high academic and philosophical writings and intelligence— an introvert, as some agree.

Let us, at this time, pray for the Pope’s safety as he journeys in the United States. The closest the Holy Father came to Guyana was last year when he visited the Federal Republic of Brazil.
LEON J. SUSERAN