Evaluation of Pope’s Visit to USA

 

MENU

1. Interview: Michael Novak on Pope’s Visit to USA Part 1,

    (22 April 2008)

2. Ibidem, Part 2 (23 April 2008)

3. The Shadow of Peter Fell on America Last Week, 23 April 2008.

    (Father Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., Toronto)

4. Wednensday Audience: Pope on Trip to UN and the US

    (30 april 2008)

5. Interview: What the Pope Said to Women in the USA (6 May 2008)

 

FROM:       “Dan Frezza” <dan@frezza.org>

TO:             <ASSISI-L@LISTSERV.ND.EDU>

DATE:        22April 2008 21:44 [EDT]

SUBJECT: Interview: Michael Novak on Pope’s US Visit (Part 1)

 

Papal Intention Focuses on Values-Based Culture

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 29, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's general prayer
intention for May is for a culture that defends and promotes the values
of the human person.


The Apostleship of Prayer announced the general intention chosen by the
Pope, "That Christians may use literature, art and the mass media to
greater advantage in order to favor a culture which defends and promotes
the values of the human person."

The Holy Father also chooses a missionary intention for each month. In
May he will pray, "That the Virgin Mary, star of evangelization and
queen of the apostles, may still guide today with maternal affection the
missionaries, both men and women, throughout the world, just as she
accompanied the apostles in the early stages of the Church."

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FROM:       “Dan Frezza“ <dan@frezza.org>

TO:             <ASSISI-L@LISTSERV.ND.EDU>

DATE:        [Wednesday] 23 April 2008 20:05 [EDT]

SUBJECT: Michael Novak on Pope’s US Visit (Part 2)

 

Michael Novak on Pope's U.S. Visit (Part 2)

Interview With Theologian and Author

By Carrie Gress

WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 23, 2008 (Zenit.org).- With the election of
Benedict XVI on the heels of Pope John Paul II's papacy, we have the
best of both worlds, says Michael Novak.

Novak is a theologian, former ambassador to the UN Commission on Human
Rights, and author of nearly 30 books, including the forthcoming "No One
Sees God."

In this interview with ZENIT, Novak discusses the Pope's address at the
United Nations and his relationship with youth.

Q: What was your reaction to the Pope's address to the United Nations?

Novak: Part of his statement was standard, and repetitive of past
statements, but part was very original and penetrating. The Pope
emphasized that what is crucial for the United Nations and the world of
the future is the protection of religious liberty. Religious liberty is
the most basic of all liberties because it protects the precious
conscience of every person. He spoke of the need to protect religious
minorities. Implicitly, he defended the concept of equality before the
law, and his comments relied on the establishment of the rule of law --
and probably also, of pluralistic democracies, of the sort that respect
human rights.

But he did not stop at religious liberty. The United Nations, he said,
must work to create room for religious people to speak of their faith
and to argue from their faith in the public square. The public square
does not belong only to secular people.

These passages brought to mind his exchange of letters with then
president of the Italian Senate, Marcello Pera, in a volume called in
English "Without Roots: The West, Relativism, Christianity, Islam."
There, the Pope pointed out that in America the separation of church and
state is not negative, but positive. For example, the state does not try
to control the public square, but it allows room for religious people to
fully express themselves in the religious sphere. While church and state
are separate in their functions, in actual life there can be no
separation of religion and the political dimension of life. Each human
person is at the same time a religious and a political being.

In those essays, he also distinguished the American idea of the
separation of church and state from the European idea, which is very
negative. What the Europeans do is give the state all the power and try
to drive religion out, limiting it to the domain of private conscience.
It has been rare for Europeans to see the difference between Europe and
America so clearly, and at least in this one respect, to command the
American side of the argument. That was the spirit that seemed to
animate many of his remarks in America.

At one point at the White House, the President quoted St. Augustine and
Pope Benedict. And for his part, the Holy Father quoted George
Washington. It was rather nice. I don't remember a Pope analyzing an
American text in such a scholarly but easily understandable way. One
hasn't often heard the Vatican make such distinctions.

John Paul II was very pro-American. He loved America. He didn't mind
chastising us when he thought we were wrong, but he really appreciated
"the phenomenology of America." He really appreciated the sense of the
whole, as well as some of the details. But Benedict has asked more
carefully the question -- with the famous German capacity for analytic
work -- "What is it that makes this country different? What is it that
makes liberty work better here? What is it that creates a public square
in which both religion and politics live fully together, and in which
the faith of billions still thrives?"

In the White House, among journalists, and in many other places,
Benedict XVI must have seen how many Catholics are present in important
positions in the public square. He must also have seen how vital certain
Catholic ideas such as "the culture of life," "subsidiarity," "the
common good," an awareness of "human weakness and sin," and opposition
to abortion have become. Twice at the Mass at Yankee Stadium in New York
the crowd erupted in powerful applause during his sermon when the Pope
spoke directly against abortion; pro-life sentiment is unusually
powerful in America.

At the United Nations, one point Pope Benedict made is that it is not
enough to mean by religious liberty the right of individuals to worship
as they please, or to follow their conscience. Religious liberty also
means a public space for religious activities.

In other places, the Pope praised all the public good that Catholics in
America serve. There are some 220 Catholic universities, and those are
public. He pointed to the huge Catholic hospital system, and the many
Catholic missionaries working with the poor in Latin America and Africa.
These are all public services. A good state has to allow scope for
religious people to supply all these goods.

Q: The youth were always so loyal to John Paul II -- even known as the
"JPII Generation." How do you think they have received Benedict XVI?

Novak: Peggy Noonan wrote the other day in the Wall Street Journal that
Pope John Paul was the perfect Pope for the television age, because he
was so dramatic and had such a winning face, gestures, wit, he was so
quick on his feet. He radiated affection the way a good actor should.
But, she said, Benedict is the best Pope for the Internet age. The blogs
go on and on about what he meant by this, and what he meant by that. The
discussion goes on for months.

The argument about what Benedict XVI said and did at Regensburg, for
example, is still not finished; it is still being plumbed and argued over.

I think the Holy Father has claimed the "JPII generation" as his own. It
is now the JPII/Benedict generation. There is not a break between them.

Benedict used to meet every Friday for an hour or two of discussion with
John Paul II. They were on the same track philosophically and
theologically, and they basically strengthened one another. Looked at
wryly, this is the 29th year of John Paul II's pontificate.

Benedict XVI is a different man with a different style, with a different
set of priorities and a different manner of acting, but in him, all this
is perfectly becoming. Many commentators in America praised his
sincerity and authenticity. He seems content to be who he is, and not to
try to be someone else. One tough-guy journalist said to Peggy Noonan,
as after a few days he nodded toward the Pope: "He's a good guy!"
Americans admire authenticity. Benedict XVI has a right to be different
from John Paul while continuing in the same line of renewal and
re-evangelization. I think we are enjoying the best of both worlds, two
in one.

--- --- ---

On the Net:

"No One Sees God":
http://michaelnovak.net/Module/Article/ArticleView.aspx?id=264


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FROM:        “Dan Frezza” <dan@frezza.org>

TO:             <ASSISI-L@LISTSERV.ND.EDU>

DATE:        23  April 2008 20:09 [EDT]

SUBJECT: The Shadow of Peter fell on America last week

 

The Shadow of Peter Fell on America Last Week

Pope Brought Words of Hope and Healing

By Father Thomas Rosica, CSB

TORONTO, APRIL 23, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Last week Benedict XVI made his
first visit as Pope to the United States of America, and many were
concerned about the impact the German Pontiff would have on a rather
beleaguered Church.

They asked if Benedict XVI would be able to “connect” with people as his
predecessor Pope John Paul II had done. After all, Benedict XVI arrived
in America at age 80 while John Paul II was a mere 59 when he visited
for the first time in 1979.

Up until last week many people both within and outside the Church in
North America simply didn’t know Joseph Ratzinger, and some didn’t want
to know him. They knew only half-truths about a former Vatican watchdog
who was often portrayed as a strict, scholarly bookworm who lacked the
charisma and flair of his predecessor on the throne of Peter. Last week
something changed significantly in peoples’ perception of Benedict XVI.

The carefully orchestrated American pilgrimage was replete with a White
House royal welcome for his 81st birthday on Wednesday, a major lecture
to Catholic university presidents and educators, a private and very
moving meeting with victims of clergy sex abuse at the Vatican embassy
in Washington, an address to leaders of many faith traditions, and a
mega Mass at Washington Nationals Stadium.

Moving over to the Big Apple for the final leg of the journey, the
Pontiff gave a major address to the U.N. General Assembly only to be
followed by another major address to the people behind the scenes at the
United Nations: secretaries, janitors, interns and the support staff.
(Not many political leaders acknowledge the little people who make the
big organizations work!)

The German Pope also visited a Manhattan synagogue on the eve of the
first day of Passover. He celebrated mass marking the third anniversary
of his election as Pope on April 19 in what many consider the symbolic
seat of Catholicism in the United States -- New York’s St. Patrick’s
Cathedral.

"New spring"

During that Mass he issued a rallying cry for the “new spring” in a
Church that he said was so divided and wounded in many ways, especially
by the clergy sex-abuse scandal. As our Salt and Light cameras covered
the event, we saw many priests and religious men and women in tears
during that Mass.

At the end of Mass celebrated on the Pope’s third anniversary of
election, he spoke personal and unscripted words: “At this moment I can
only thank you for your love of the Church and Our Lord, and for the
love which you show to the poor Successor of St. Peter. I will try to do
all that is possible to be a worthy successor of the great Apostle, who
also was a man with faults and sins, but remained in the end the rock
for the Church. And so I too, with all my spiritual poverty, can be for
this time, in virtue of the Lord’s grace, the Successor of Peter.”

On Saturday evening the grandfatherly Benedict XVI stunned the world,
and even himself, with a grand performance of humanity, compassion,
conviction, sheer joy and very stirring words at the youth events at New
York’s seminary in Yonkers. Prior to entering the World Youth Day
atmosphere outside, the Pope met with dozens of disabled children in the
seminary chapel -- most of them in wheelchairs. The Pope walked slowly
down the aisle, along which the children were lined up. He took each by
the hands, or kissed a child on the head. Parents and caregivers nearby
wept openly.

At the outdoor rally for nearly 30,000 young people, Benedict XVI made a
rare reference to his upbringing in Nazi Germany. “My own years as a
teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the
answers; its influence grew -- infiltrating schools and civic bodies, as
well as politics and even religion -- before it was fully recognized for
the monster it was,” said the Pope, who deserted the German army near
the end of World War II.

Throughout the week the Vatican took great care in articulating the
Pope’s immigration position, stating the need to protect family unity
and the human rights of immigrants, but pointedly avoiding any specifics
of the American immigration debate, such as the issue of whether to
grant legal status to illegal immigrants. For sure, Benedict XVI’s words
last week stirred the crosscurrents of the debate at the heart of a
presidential election in the United States.

There is the Church

An ancient Latin expression, first used by St. Ambrose in the fourth
century, came to my mind last week during several moments of the
historic papal visit to the United States: “Ubi Petrus ibi ecclesia,”
which is translated, “Wherever Peter is, there is the Church.”

Peter was in America last week, on the South Lawn of the White House,
and at the Catholic University of America. Peter’s great smile and
obvious serenity ignited a nation, a Church and a continent with hope in
the midst of cynicism and despair, and while many would like to hasten
death for a Church that is alive and young. Peter’s words addressed to
representatives of more than 190 member nations of the United Nations
spoke of human rights, dignity, dialogue and peace to a world at war in
so many places. Peter’s eloquent silence, prayer and gestures at ground
zero brought healing and peace to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks on a nation.

The New Testament’s Acts of the Apostles tells us “that they even
carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets,
so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of
them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were
coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean
spirits, and they were all being healed."

Benedict XVI came to America last week to bring healing and hope. His
words and simple gestures were desperately needed in a nation torn apart
by terrorism and wars, and in a Church split by many divisions. Only
time, reflection and prayer will reveal if the healing of U.S.
Catholics, begun last week, will bear fruit for the Church in America.

One thing is certain, however: Last week the shadow of Peter fell on
millions of people in America and far beyond. And many received hope and
experienced healing from our many diseases. And one more thing happened
last week: Joseph Ratzinger came into his own.

Though elected and installed as Pope three years ago, I think his Papacy
really began in the minds and hearts of North Americans last week when
“Peter was among us.”

* * *

Basilian Father Thomas Rosica is the CEO of the Salt and Light Catholic
Media Foundation and Television Network. He is also a member of the
General Council of the Congregation of St. Basil. He can be reached at
rosica@saltandlighttv.org.


--
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FROM:        “Dan Frezza” <dan@ffrezza.org>

TO:             <ASSISI-L@LISTSERV.ND.EDU>

DATE:        30 April 2008 20:45 [edt]

SUBJECT: Wednesday’s Audience: On the Trip to the UN and the US

 

On the Trip to the UN and the US
"I Have Had the Joy of Announcing 'Christ Our Hope'"

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 30, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the
address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in St. Peter's
Square.* * *

Even if a few days have already passed since my return, I would like to
dedicate the catechesis of today, as I normally do, to the apostolic
trip that I made to the United Nations and the United States of America
this past April 15 to 21. Before all, I renew my most cordial
appreciation to the U.S. episcopal conference, as well as President
Bush, for having invited me and for the warm welcome they have given me.
And I would like to extend my thanks to all those in Washington and New
York who came to greet me and manifest their love for the Pope, or who
have accompanied and supported me with prayer and with the offering of
their sacrifices.

As we know, the occasion of my trip was the bicentennial of the
elevation of the country's first diocese, Baltimore, to a metropolitan
see, and the foundation of the sees of New York, Boston, Philadelphia
and Louisville. On this characteristically ecclesial anniversary, I have
had the joy of personally visiting, for the first time as the Successor
of Peter, the dear people of the United States of America, to confirm
the Catholics in their faith, to renew and increase fraternity with all
Christians, and to announce to everyone the message of "Christ Our
Hope," as the theme of the trip said.

In the meeting with the president, in his residence, I was able to pay
homage to this great country, which from the beginning has been
constructed based on a pleasing joining together of religious, ethical
and political principles, and continues to be a valid example of healthy
secularism, where the religious dimension, in the diversity of its
expressions, is not only tolerated but valued as the "soul" of the
nation and the fundamental guarantee of the rights and duties of the
human being.

In this context, the Church can carry out its mission of evangelization
and human promotion with freedom and commitment and, at the same time,
can be a stimulus for a country such as the United States, to which
everyone looks as one of the principal agents on the international
scene, so that it is oriented toward global solidarity, ever more
necessary and urgent, and toward the patient exercise of dialogue in
international relations.

Naturally, the mission and the role of the ecclesial community were at
the center of the meeting with the bishops that took place in the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington. In the
liturgical context of vespers, we praised the Lord for the path traveled
by the people of God in the United States, for the zeal of its pastors,
and for the fervor and the generosity of its faithful, which is
manifested with a high esteem and openness to the faith, and in
innumerable charitable and humanitarian initiatives within the country
and outside it.

At the same time, I was able to support my brothers in the episcopate in
their difficult task of sowing the Gospel in a society marked by many
contradictions, which threaten the coherence of the faithful and of the
clergy themselves. I encouraged them to raise their voices on current
moral and social questions and to form the lay faithful so that they be
good "leaven" in the civil community, starting from the fundamental cell
that is the family. In this sense, I exhorted them to re-propose the
sacrament of matrimony as a gift and indissoluble commitment between a
man and a woman, the natural environment for the welcoming and education
of children. The Church and the family, together with schools,
especially those of Christian inspiration, should cooperate to offer
youth a solid moral education, but in this task the agents of
communication and entertainment also have a great responsibility.

Thinking of the sorrowful situation of the sexual abuse of minors
committed by ordained ministers, I wanted to express to the bishops my
closeness, encouraging them in the commitment to heal the wounds and to
reinforce their relationships with their priests. Responding to some
questions asked by the bishops, I highlighted a few important aspects:
the intrinsic relationship between the Gospel and "natural law"; the
healthy concept of freedom, which is understood and fulfilled in love;
the ecclesial dimension of the Christian experience; the demand to
announce in new ways, especially to youth, "salvation" as the plenitude
of life, and to educate them in prayer, from which sprouts the generous
response to the call of the Lord.

In the great and festive Eucharistic celebration in Nationals Park
stadium in Washington, we invoked the Holy Spirit upon the Church in the
United States of America, so that firmly rooted in the faith transmitted
by its fathers, profoundly united and renewed, it will face present and
future challenges with courage and hope -- that hope that "does not
disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).

One of these challenges is certainly that of education, and for this
reason, in the Catholic University of America, I met with rectors of
universities and Catholic educational centers, with the diocesan leaders
responsible for teaching, and with representatives of professors and
students. The educational task is an integral part of the mission of the
Church, and the U.S. Church community has always been very committed in
this field, offering at the same time a great social and cultural
service to the entire country. It is important that this can continue.
And it is in the same way important to take care of the quality of the
Catholic centers of education so that in them, [students] are formed
truly according to "the extent of the full stature" of Christ (cf.
Ephesians 4:13), joining together faith and reason, truth and liberty.
With joy, therefore, I have confirmed the formators in their precious
commitment to intellectual charity.

In a country like the United States of America, with a multicultural
vocation, the meetings with representatives of other religions have
taken on special importance: in Washington, in the John Paul II Cultural
Center, with Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Jains; in New York,
the visit to the synagogue. Moments, especially this latter one, which
were very cordial, which have confirmed the common commitment to
dialogue and the promotion of peace and spiritual and moral values. In
[a country] that can consider itself the homeland of religious liberty,
I wanted to recall that this should always be defended with a joint
effort, so as to avoid any kind of discrimination or prejudice. And I
stressed the great responsibility of the religious representatives, both
in teaching respect and nonviolence, and in nourishing the deepest
questions of human consciousness. The ecumenical celebration, in the
parish church of St. Joseph, was also characterized by great cordiality.
Together, we asked
the Lord that he increase in Christians the capacity of giving reasons,
also with an ever greater unity, for their unique hope (cf. 1 Peter
3:15) based in a common faith in Jesus Christ.

The other principal objective of my trip was the visit to the central
offices of the United Nations Organization: the fourth visit of a Pope,
after that of Paul VI in 1965 and the two visits of John Paul II, in
1979 and 1995. In the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Providence permitted me to
confirm, in the most great and authoritative supranational assembly, the
value of this declaration, recalling its universal basis, that is, the
dignity of the human person created by God in his image and likeness to
cooperate in the world with his great design of life and peace.

Respect for human rights is rooted, as well as in peace, in "justice,"
that is, in an ethical order valid in all times and for all peoples,
which can be summarized in the famous maxim: "Do not do unto others what
you would not have them do unto you," or, expressed positively in the
words of Jesus, "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you"
(Matthew 7:12). Upon this base, which constitutes the characteristic
contribution of the Holy See to the United Nations Organization, I
renewed and I renew again today, the commitment of the Catholic Church
in contributing to strengthen international relations, characterized by
the principles of responsibility and solidarity.

Other moments of my stay in New York have remained firmly etched in my
spirit. In St. Patrick's Cathedral, in the heart of Manhattan, truly a
"house of prayer for all peoples," I celebrated holy Mass for the
priests and consecrated persons who had come from all parts of the
country. I will never forget the warmth with which they congratulated me
for the third anniversary of my election to the See of Peter. It was a
moving moment, in which I experienced in a tangible way all of the
support of the Church for my ministry. I could say the same about my
meeting with youth and seminarians, which was held precisely in the
diocesan seminary, preceded by a very significant meeting with
handicapped boys and girls and their families.

I proposed to youth -- who by their nature are thirsting for truth and
love -- some figures of men and women who have given an exemplary
testimony of the Gospel in the lands of the United States, the Gospel of
the truth that frees in love, in service, in life given for others. In
seeing the darkness that today threatens their lives, youth can find in
the saints the light that dissipates it: the light of Christ, hope for
all men.

This hope, stronger than sin and death, motivated the emotion-swelled
moment that I spent in silence at the crater of ground zero where I lit
a candle, praying for all the victims of that terrible tragedy. Finally,
my visit culminated with the celebration of the Eucharist in Yankee
Stadium in New York: I still carry in my heart that festival of faith
and brotherhood, with which we celebrated the 200 years of the oldest
dioceses of North America. The original little flock has progressed
enormously, enriching itself with the faith and the traditions of
successive waves of immigration. To this Church, which now faces the
challenges of the present, I have had the joy of announcing anew "Christ
Our Hope" of yesterday, today and forever.

Dear brothers and sisters, I invite you to unite yourselves with me in
thanksgiving for the encouraging results of this apostolic trip and in
the supplication to God, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary,
that it produces abundant fruits for the Church in the United States and
in all parts of the world.

[Translation by ZENIT]

[At the end of the audience, the Pope greeted the people in several
languages. In English, he said:]

My recent Apostolic Journey to the United Nations and the United States
of America was inspired by the theme, "Christ our Hope". I am most
grateful to all who helped in any way to make the Journey a success. My
visit was meant to encourage the Catholic community in America,
especially our young people, to bear consistent witness to the faith,
and to carry on the Church's mission, especially with regard to
education and concern for the poor. American society traditionally
values religious freedom and the need for faith to play its part in
building a sound civic life. In my meetings with President Bush, and
with Christian leaders and representatives of other religions, I
reaffirmed the Church's commitment to cooperation in the service of
understanding, peace and spiritual values. My address to the United
Nations stressed the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, which grounds respect for human dignity in a universally valid
ethical order. In a particular way, my
visit to Ground Zero, charged with sober silence and prayer, was a
moving testimony to the hope which is stronger than evil and death. I
ask all of you to join me in praying that this Visit will bear abundant
spiritual fruit for the growth of the faith in America and for the unity
and peace of the whole human family.

I offer a warm welcome to the participants in the third
Christian-Buddhist Symposium, meeting in Castel Gandolfo during these
days. Upon all of you and upon the English-speaking pilgrims from
England, Ireland, Scandinavia, Malta, South Africa, Korea, Thailand,
Canada and the United States, I cordially invoke the joy and peace of
the Risen Christ.

© Copyright 2008 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana

--
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[Text corrected]

 

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FROM:       “Dan Frezza” <dan@frezza.org>

TO:             <ASSISI-L@LISTSERV.ND.EDU>

DATE:        6 May 2008 20:36 [EDT]

SUBJECT: Interview: What the Pope Said to Women in US

 

What the Pope Said to Women in US
Interview With President of Catholic Organizations Union

By Miriam Díez i Bosch


ROME, MAY 6, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's zealous promotion of
human rights during his trip to the United States has direct
consequences for women, says the president of a Catholic women's group.

Karen Hurley is the president of the World Union of Catholic Women's
Organizations, which aims to promote the presence, participation and
co-responsibility of Catholic women in society and Church.

In this interview with ZENIT, Hurley gives a review of the Pope's trip
to the United States last month, and explains why his trip brought such
a positive reaction.

Q: What is your personal impression of Benedict XVI's apostolic visit to
the United States?

Hurley: We are still basking in the glow of the apostolic visit of Pope
Benedict XVI to the USA. For me it was such a joy to have our Holy
Father visit my homeland.

Through my service in the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations,
I have been blessed to be able to greet both Pope John Paul II as well
as Pope Benedict XVI, both in Rome and at Castel Gandolfo. But most
Americans only see our Holy Father from a distance through the media.
People traveled from every state to Washington, D.C., and New York City
to catch a glimpse of our Holy Father in person.

There was such elation, as well as deep abiding peace, when one saw the
Pope. People clutching cameras forgot to take photographs because they
were smiling and waving at the Pope.

Stadiums packed with worshippers were hushed with silence so all could
hear each and every word spoken by our Holy Father.

Beginning on the sunny afternoon our Holy Father stepped off Shepherd
One and was welcomed by President Bush until six days and nights later
as the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Sambi, Vice President and Mrs. Cheney
stood on the airport runway waving good-bye, the spiritual and emotional
connections deepened.

There was a tremendous witness of faith, a greater conviction that
Christ is our hope, and an outpouring of love on the part of all whose
lives were touched by this visit.

Q: The Pope himself has confessed he learned a lot about you, American
Catholics. Is this encouraging for you?

Hurley: Yes, this is very encouraging because I believe our Holy Father
found Americans who are committed to professing and living our Catholic
faith in the midst of secular cultural influences.

Pope Benedict's words reflected his knowledge of the history of our
nation, but also his awareness of the challenges and opportunities that
face us in the present day.

The Holy Father, in his quiet, caring manner, was able to "meet people
where they are": clergy and vowed religious, laity, women and men, young
people, children with disabilities, representatives of other religions,
and, quite poignantly, survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

In Pope Benedict's own words, he came as "a friend, a preacher of the
Gospel." But he certainly spent his time listening, as well as
preaching, learning as well as educating, and praying as well as being a
sign of Christ's healing and peace to all whose lives he touched.

Americans also learned a lot about Pope Benedict XVI whom they compare
to his predecessor, beloved John Paul II.

Clearly they are two different personalities with unique gifts which the
Lord has called forth in his service.

Any earlier misperceptions held by some Americans of Cardinal Ratzinger
in his previous role as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith were shattered by this personal encounter with a compassionate
Pope Benedict XVI who pastorally enunciated the truths of our faith.

Q: Is there a special message for the mission of women that you could
learn from this papal trip?

Hurley: Our Holy Father spoke clearly of the dignity of every human
person created in the image and likeness of God. His words resonate
particularly during this 20th anniversary year of Pope John Paul II's
apostolic letter, "Mulieris Dignitatem," On the Dignity and Vocation of
Women.

Referring to the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, as well as the role of the United States of America in the
international community, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged efforts to build
"a world where the God-given dignity and rights of every man, woman and
child are cherished, protected and effectively advanced."

For the members of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations,
this encompasses our mission to work for human rights beginning with the
fundamental right to life, the education of women and girls, caring for
the poor, the sick and the stranger, and advocating for justice based on
God's moral law.

Before his election, then-Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in the "Letter to the
Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in
the Church and in the World":

"It is women, in the end, who even in very desperate situations, as
attested by history past and present, possess a singular capacity to
persevere in adversity, to keep life going even in extreme situations,
to hold tenaciously to the future, and finally to remember with tears
the value of every human life."

Our Holy Father reminded all men and women of our God-given dignity. A
reality of the dignity of women is a "capacity for the other," which
elicits life and contributes to the growth and protection of all those
entrusted to our care.

Q: Everybody seems happy about this visit. Why has it been so important
at this particular moment in history?

Hurley: So many people are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives.

Others may have grown lukewarm in their faith. Still others were
actively seeking a more intimate union with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Pope Benedict came to the United States of America to preach the Gospel
message, "Christ our Hope." This was the message people of all ages and
stages of life needed to hear and to respond to.

Our Holy Father's visit presented a unique opportunity for all people of
good will to experience a personal encounter with the Lord; an encounter
which impels one to share the good news with others, like the Samaritan
woman at the well.

Indeed, people are now sharing their faith, hope and love with renewed
fervor.

With the grace of God, the fruits of this visit will continue to
flourish for years to come as the seeds that were planted begin to grow.

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Permission by Zenit to distribute to Assisi-L