Pope urges U.S. Catholics to renew their missionary energy

Published: 2008-04-17

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Celebrating Mass in a Washington baseball stadium, Pope Benedict XVI urged U.S. Catholics to renew their missionary energy at a time when American society is at a moral crossroads. The pope warned of "signs of a disturbing breakdown in the very foundations of society" and said people need the church's message of hope and fidelity to the demands of the Gospel. He also confronted the question of clerical sexual abuse of minors, acknowledging the damage done to the church and asking all Catholics to help assist those who have been hurt. The Mass April 17 at a packed Nationals Park was the pope's first major encounter with the Catholic faithful on his six-day visit to Washington and New York. The liturgy, celebrated on an altar platform in deep center field, was a Mass of the Holy Spirit and featured multiethnic choirs singing in four languages. The spirit was evident among the enthusiastic crowd of about 45,000 people, who cheered the 81-year-old pope as he rode through the stadium in his popemobile.

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