(dpa) -
Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday praised religious freedom in the United States, acknowledging in particular politicians who assimilate religion in their
work, in a rare tribute and show of affection for the land of opportunity.
In Yankee Stadium, packed with 57,000 people, Benedict celebrated Mass Sunday
to conclude his six-day visit, which began Tuesday in Washington, where he met
with US President George W Bush at the White House. During the week, he
celebrated his 81st birthday and the third anniversary of his election to the
papacy by the College of Cardinals.
The pope was to leave New York's John F Kennedy International Airport at 8 pm Sunday (0000 Monday GMT) for Rome aboard Shepherd One.
Benedict devoted his homily to the US Catholic Church, established more than
200 years ago by immigrants from Europe.
Despite the painful reminder of deep wounds inflicted by scandals over child
sexual abuse by priests, which he went out at length to denounce, also calling
for forgiveness from the victims, Benedict urged the US church to work for
future generations.
"I greet all of you with great affection," Benedict told the crowd,
which cheered continuously, waving handkerchieves in white and yellow, the
colours of the Vatican flag.
"In this land of religious liberty, Catholics found freedom not only to
practice their faith but also to participate fully in civic life, bringing
their deepest moral convictions to the public square and cooperating with their
neighbours in shaping a vibrant, democratic society."
A special throne with the papal seal was erected for Benedict above second base
of the packed baseball stadium, while nearly 600 priests and deacons occupied
rows of seats along the sides of the diamond-shaped field.
A 58-member orchestra led by New York Metropolitan Opera tenors sang during the
Mass, with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and dozens of cardinals and other US church officials in attendance.
Benedict said that the Catholic Church in the United States grew from a small
number of faithful working "in fidelity to the twin commandment of love of
God and love of neighbor. In this land of freedom and opportunity, the church
has united a widely diverse flock in the profession of the faith and, through
her many educational, charitable and social works, has also contributed
significantly to the growth of American society as a whole."
The US church was established by immigrants from Europe, first in Baltimore and then in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and other cities as the population
grew and eventually moved west.
Benedict spoke of the tensions among cultures and religions of immigrants who
came to the US. But he said the US has provided the space for all.
"In these 200 years, the face of the Catholic community in your country
has changed greatly," he said. "We think of the successive waves of
immigrants whose traditions have so enriched the Church in America. We think of the strong faith which built up the network of churches, educational,
healthcare and social institutions which have long been the hallmark of the
Church in this land."
Benedict read the last part of his homily in Spanish in a gesture to the large
and growing US community of Latino Catholics.
He visited Ground Zero early Sunday and knelt alone to offer silent prayer for
the 3,000 people killed in the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001.
Extraordinary security measures were mounted to protect the pope at one of most
sensitive sites in the city, where the World Trade Center towers were toppled
by suicide hijackers.
A group of 24 people representing families of the victims were present at the
ceremony at Ground Zero, where the Benedict lit a single candle to commemorate
the dead.
The German-born pope, a former academic seen as more professorial and less
charismatic than his predecessor, John Paul II, nonetheless has struck a strong
emotional chord in the United States, where he also made only the third visit
ever by a pope to a Jewish temple.
During his brief stop Friday night at the Park East Synagogue in Manhattan, on
the eve of the sacred Jewish celebration of Passover, Benedict, who was
compelled at age 14 to participate in the Hitler Youth in 1941, met with Rabbi
Arthur Schneier, who outlived the Holocaust in the Budapest ghetto.
Benedict recalled the war days in remarks Saturday night to 20,000 seminary
student at St Joseph's Seminary in New York, where he urged young people to
keep the faith while enjoying their freedom.
"My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought
it had all the answers," Benedict said. "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."