Truemors
Pope Benedict preached to a crowd of 3,000 today at St. Patrick's cathedral in New York, and again addressed the clergy sex abuse scandal. He said it was better to have good priests than many priests.
"I simply wish to assure you, dear priests and religious, of my spiritual closeness as you strive to respond with Christian hope to he continuing challenges that this situation presents," Benedict said.
He also urged them to co-operate with bishops, who he said were working to resolve the crisis.
Saturday was the third anniversary of Benedict's election as Pope and he was feted by cardinals and bishops, priests and nuns who jammed the magnificent Gothic church on Fifth Avenue.
He was met outside by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, while former mayor Rudy Giuliani was inside.
Benedict blessed the cathedral with holy water before making his way to the altar of the landmark church. As he walked down the centre aisle, nuns clutched at his robes, showing an enthusiasm for his presence that has been mirrored by much of the American public.
Later Saturday, Benedict was scheduled to speak to seminarians at a youth rally. Then on Sunday, the final day of his trip, he will visit ground zero and participate in a mass at Yankee Stadium.
The Vatican said the German-born Pope came outside from his residence on the Upper East Side Friday night to greet a crowd of more than 500 people who had lined up for hours. He shook hands and blessed the crowd before returning inside.
At the cathedral, Benedict touched on the theme of his trip - Christian hope - saying he wanted to communicate the joy born of faith to a cynical world.
The Pope lives in Rome but is presently visiting New York City from April 18-20, 2008. This will mark his first visit to the Big Apple as Pope.
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