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	Pope Lands in U.S., Admits Shame over Sex Scandal By Michael Amon and Craig Gordon Newsday April 15, 2008 http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/ny-lipope0416,0,4903755.story Before he even touched down on U.S. soil Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the issue that has battered the American Catholic Church, saying he is "deeply ashamed" of the priest sex-abuse crisis. The remarks — the most extensive the pope has made on the scandal — set a forthright, emotional tone for a visit heavy with symbolic gestures. The first of those gestures came immediately, when President George W. Bush welcomed Benedict on the windy tarmac of Andrews Air Force Base — the only time Bush has personally greeted a foreign dignitary there. On Wednesday, the president will preside over a more formal arrival ceremony on the White House's South Lawn, where more than 9,000 people are expected to attend — topping the crowd for Queen Elizabeth II last May. The pope's six-day trip to the United States is his first since becoming leader of the world's 1 billion Catholics in 2005, and the first papal visit to this country in nine years. The visit has been highly anticipated by American Catholics, tens of thousands of whom were selected by lottery to attend events in New York and Washington. The hundreds of parishioners and Catholic school students assembled at Andrews yesterday whooped and cheered when the pope, in his white robe and red shoes and with windblown hair, emerged just after 4 p.m. in the doorway of the Alitalia jet known as "Shepherd One." After shaking hands with the president, first lady Laura Bush and their daughter Jenna, Benedict greeted Roman Catholic dignitaries, who kissed the papal ring. He briefly retreated to a nearby building with the president. As the pope walked with Bush toward a waiting limousine, which would take him to the Apostolic Nunciature, the cheering crowd erupted into a chorus of "Happy Birthday." Benedict turns 81 Wednesday. The pope's trip also marks the first papal visit since widespread revelations of priest sex abuse strained relations between Catholics and their clergy and prompted scores of lawsuits costing the church hundreds of millions of dollars. En route from Rome to the United States, the pope said pedophilia is "absolutely incompatible" with the priesthood. He was responding to one of four questions submitted by reporters in advance. Though he began answering questions in Italian, he spoke about the sex-abuse scandal in English. "It is a great suffering for the church in the United States and for the church in general and for me personally that this could happen," Benedict said. "It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission ... to these children." He said priests and bishops will have to do a better job screening applicants for the priesthood. "We will absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry," Benedict said. "It is more important to have good priests than many priests. We will do everything possible to heal this wound." The pope's historic visit comes as the nation's 67.5 million Catholics are grappling with a shortage of priests, the closings of some parishes and schools, rapidly changing demographics caused by Latino immigration, and the fallout from the sex abuse scandal. The Vatican has described the visit as an opportunity to introduce U.S. Catholics to the German-born Benedict, who replaced the beloved Pope John Paul II. Aboard the plane, Benedict described his pilgrimage as a journey to meet a "great people and a great church." He spoke about the American model of religious values within a system of separation of church and state. He also said he plans to discuss immigration issues with Bush, with whom he will have a one-on-one meeting today in the Oval Office. Bush and the pope have significant differences — particularly on the Iraq war — but White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Bush plans to emphasize their common goals, such as battling religious extremism and defending individual human rights. "They have a relationship that is based on trust and they're able to have a frank conversation" about Iraq, she said. She suggested that Bush and the pope have moved closer in their view of Iraq, saying both see the need for stability, in part to help Iraq's Christian minority freely practice its beliefs. The pope will spend two days in Washington, where his events include a Mass at the new stadium of the Washington Nationals baseball team and a speech at the Catholic University of America. He heads Friday to New York, where he will address the United Nations, visit a Manhattan synagogue the day before the Jewish holiday of Passover, meet with families of 9/11 victims at Ground Zero and preside over a Mass at Yankee Stadium. He departs the United States Sunday night. Christopher Lee, a U.S. Air Force master sergeant who works as a mechanic on Air Force One, said that seeing the pope was "a thrill. "Unless you're in Rome, you don't get to see" the pope, said Lee, 39, formerly of Lake Ronkonkoma. "When in my life am I going to get to see two of the most powerful people in the world?"
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