Pope celebrates first public Mass of US trip in Washington

What has the US done for the world mister? a pope at least is always a symbol of hope for a lot of people. I don't think americans have moral authority to say what you say. You complain of illegals because they use your services and your system, but you do not complain about them when you send them to Iraq and other places. If you complain so much about the illegals that go to the US, why does the US army send agents to mexico for recruitment?? (let me guess, you didn't know because your media didn't tell you?) I know it is a problem for you, but don't dare talk as if an average american knew what the word suffering and the word abuse mean! Some americans just make me laugh, I suppose in every country, developed or undeveloped, there is always an ignorant mayority.

A comment like this is definitely done out of ignorance of a human person. In this great country of ours human respect must come first. I will not tell this person to shut up because I have no right to tell anyone to shut up just because I do not agree with their faith, opinion or bad English grammar. I would like to correct this person's statement that all priests abuse children. That is not true and we should always speak the truth. Those who have are less than 1% of all our American priests. Please, state the truth not partial truths. The point about this visit not meaning anything to we, Americans, but only to the illegals. Again how can you make that statement for we American Catholics. We who are descends of immigrants and who are Catholic. This visit mean a lot to us. Please, stop making irrational statements for "all of us Americans".

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all who have made this visit of the Holy Father pleasant. It is good to be Catholic and not just American.

It is my opinion that the people of the United States in general do not like to be subjected and reminded of their past failures on human right issues. But it is very true that the Americas have stolen everything from the Indians and grossly mistreated them, and the slaves to the point of inhumanity. But in their ignorance they will rather forget about the shortcomings of the past - like let sleeping dogs lay - but the Holy Father is all too familiar with the shortcomings and the injustice done to the Jewish people. in the homeland of ours. Don't ever think that the table can turn around again, then how would you feel?
Pope Benedict you are a very knowledgeable and wise person and as is common in the US to say "you hit the nail on the head". God Bless you, Beloved Pope!

After reading many of the posts here, as well as most online postings I truly believe many of you would do well to read Martin Heidegger's thoughts regarding 'idle talk' and 'scribbling' (Being and Time 168). And no, these aren't pejorative terms. And before you go attempting to invalidate this post by reminding everyone that Heidegger was a voluntary and active Nazi (as opposed to Benedict, who was 16 at the time he was constricted) please remember that ad hominem arguments do not hold any weight in logical, rational argument. To those of you who do post intelligent, thoughtful remarks that are actually engaging the issues, it's good to know that there are those who dare to go beyond the surface and superficial that seems to captivate our culture today. Maybe we should be listening to what this pope is saying regarding reason, belief, and discourse instead of dismissing his remarks in toto because of prejudices and presuppositions. If the pope reminds Americans about their past, it is so that we realize where we came from and to know where we are heading.

Goodness, Sister Maria Regina Bracken (message 1.3), you are quick to criticize another poster's grammar, when your own post is grammatically atrocious. The pope is not the holy father. God is the Holy Father. It cheapens the title to bestow it on a sinful man. Yes, even the pope has sinned, I'm sure. The Bible (which Catholics supposedly use) says that "no one comes to the Father [God] but by me [Christ]." It never says anything about going through a pope. Catholicism is man's way of making Christianity conform to man's idea of control and order, bestowing power on human authorities in the name of religion. No one needs to answer to a pope, bishop, priest or any one. Servants of the Lord should teach the Bible, and help the needy - the things that Christ did on Earth. They have no right to command authority, be politically active, or determine how people should worship, or what is a sin. Not even the angels of the Bible demanded the respect that the pope gets!! Despite the Jews' overwhelming desire for Christ to overthrow the Roman government, He did not. He taught in the temple, preached to the crowds, showed mercy, helped the sick, and reached out to those that society rejected. If Christ Himself resisted politics and power, what gives the pope this right?

In the Bible, Paul also talks about future religions that will forbid marriage. A religious leader should have one wife, he says. Catholics forbid their priests to marry, despite the Bible's blessing on marriage, even for religious leaders. Look at the mess that celibacy has caused in the Catholic church. Just another example of how man's rules do not work. Catholics need to return to the Bible, instead of this man-made system of authority and rules.

As many have pointed out, the Catholic church has historically persecuted many. They drove the pilgrims to the Americas. Yes, many churches and religions have erred. It's the political power of the Catholic church that makes its errors so devastating. Politics need to respect and protect every person's right to practice religion: politics should never be controlled by religion. God works by convicting the heart, not by passing laws or wielding political influence. That defeats the nature of religion.

jdl-28...um, WHAT??? All priests do NOT molest children. That is a senseless and insensitive comment. I like Pope Benedict XVI and am impressed with what he's accomplished in his three years as pope. Remember--he had very big shoes to fill with John Paul II. God bless Pope Benedict and the Catholic Church. Both are good at heart!

JLM,

Sir, you need a serious course on either Western history or church history. The Catholic Church did not drive the pilgrims out of England. Even a second grader knows this!!!

I believer if the Pope really wants The Catholic Church to get back on the right path, The Pope must take action against the Cardinals and Bishops that move these pedophile priest from church to church and trying to high them and telling them not do it anymore. I met two of these pedophile priests, but I did not know that at the time, I found out latter when there names came out in the news.

The scary part for my wife and I was we had one them to our home for dinner two times and he even spent time alone with our 9yr old son. The second pedophile priest had time alone with our other son when we move to another parish. I think the people defending the Church should realize how hard its for those who feel betrayed and lie too by those you are to look up to and have faith in.

PS- One of the above pedophile priest I was talking about when he came into our parish he was put in charge of all the youth programs and no one new till his name came out a news. It make you shutter!

I believe the Pope delivered an honest message to us all. It is easy for individuals who have never suffered discrimination to pass judgment without hearing the message between the lines. I am Native American and know how we are still treated as well as all people of color. Yes, the past is the past; however, it is not only appalling, it was criminal! I believe since laws have been past for equal opportunity, most individuals now have choices that were not possible before. I am very proud to be an American whose family has served and given their lives for our freedom and country. We have never received handouts and hard working people with many of the same concerns as you.

Thank you! It's about time someone said it. How about the Pope apologize for the crusades and the persecutions of the protestants!

I see ignorance is alive and well. The bigots still don't like to be called what they are. The world knows what this country did to the Native Indians and the Blacks in this country. It has changed some but there is much to be done. Sometimes this stuff sickens my stomach but I have hope that things will really change.

Trying to reclaim reservations because casinos on them are more profitable than those NOT on reservations, is not "in the past." And, for the record, there is very little that black people can "hide behind," in that just changing their names (as so many Jewish immigrants did to successfully assimilate) does nothing to lighten their skin, which, for many, is STILL, an object of discrimination, no matter how defunct you may belive that it has become... But, of course, no one in society holds ANY prejudice at all; that's just a figment of the imagination of some...LOL

Erick I could not understand a word you wrote except for the word "colored".Please tell me that you do not use that word to describe black people or native indians, because if you do you are in for a fight.

Read the entire homily and stop taking things out of context! Is this the American way: to only take in media sound bites and not think expansively and critically? No wonder we're having an education crisis.

snuggler, what world are you living in where "alot of African Americans are getting help driving new cars and buying expensive clothing" , please come back to reality. A real misconception that many people have, snuggler Just work hard and provide for your family and stop the silliness of thinking "ALOT" of African Americans get free handouts.

ah Tired, why should I have to be blamed for slavery? While slavery was going on here in the US, my ancestors were living in fear of the Roman Catholic church over in Poland and Russia, where it was believed that the Jews killed Jesus, that the Jews were the cause of everything bad in Europe, etc. As a matter of fact, none of my ancestors came over to America until the 1920's, and one had to escape being drafted into the Polish military in 1917-18 because had he gone in, he would have ended up dead.

Did he call you by name? As long as RACISM exist, so does everything else.

Snuggler

The majority of Americans on welfare are Anglo Saxon's. Read the stats they verify it, so
quit stereotyping African Americans. Stop whining and be grateful that you are blessed to
have your needs supplied without any assistance. We work hard for what we have and I
am sure you do as well.

Peace!!

Snuggler, you don't owe anyone anything, and neither do they owe you, except respect, and freedom from bias, bigotry, and steretypeo-driven racism. LOL. What do you think the mean income is for the average African-American (who, by the way, is not even a home-owner, let alone owner of "brand new home" or cars, for that matter). We tend to get the short/brunt end of the stick when it comes to poverty, recession, etc. Why don't you compare your state to that of other impoverished African Americans, or the upper middle class state of many white people, to that, of those affluent black people you're describing. That would be a more even-handed, appropriate comparison. And, as for expensive clothes and rims on cars, unfortunately, many black people don't realize that investing what little they have in things that depreciate in value, rather than in stocks, home ownership and other things that appreciate in value, only serves to hurt them in the end. So many wear or drive what they are worth, whereas a white family may wear modest clothing, drive a station wagon, but be able to buy and sell the black family, due to income from investments. Seeing what they (many blacks) cruise around town in, can be deceiving and misleading. Most black people aren't like the African American entertainers, athletes, models, etc. that you see on T.V. Please don't be so naive.

snuggler I am so tired of hearing about the holocaust, when will jews get over it?

f0ur million jewish people died in the holocaust but but what never seems to be talked about is that eight million polish people were murdered by the germans in poland

I don't disagree with anything you said there -- I just question whether the Pope is the right person to be delivering that message.

Where was his apology for the prejudices of the institution he represents? For his own foibles in Germany? Instead, he comes here and apologizes for the actions of the American Government? An institution which he has no role in?

If he wants to apologize for things like The Spanish Inquisition, more power to him. But an apology for US policy on Native Americans is outside his bailiwick. Apologizing for things the Roman Catholic Church didn't even take part in is his way of dodging responsibility for the crimes they did take part in, IMO.

No he didn't, did he?

Exactly.

The Church represented by the Pope had apologized for all the things that the Church did wrong, or even haven't done it rightly at the time to prevent such evil to happen ... But I don't see why he have to do it here? WHAT'S THE RELEVANCE HERE? If you come to his face and say, are you sorry for all those bad things that the church did ... without hesitation ... he will say yes! ... I don't see why he have to have a list of things done wrong ... and say it out loud in every of his appearance in the public? ... When you say sorry to your family or friends, do you say sorry again to them everytime you speak to them?

what is it about slavery and discrimination that bother people so much, we should be able to bring these topics to the table at any given moment, in order to create a difference some of us need to face the truth slavery maybe over, but discrimination is still strong and well alive if a person does want to talk about slavery because it happend so long ago why do we still discriminate, because the essence behind slavery is discrimination it is a sense of inferiority, therefore, I think the pope message is a very good message.

YOU SUMMED IT ALL UP !!! I THINK YOU SHOULD RUN FOR PRESIDENT ! OR BETTER YET VICE PRESIDENT. GO AHEAD LET OBAMA MAKE THE CHANGES NEEDED TO SET AMERICA STRAIGHT AND YOU AND I AS AMERICAN S HELP FOLLOW THROUGH .

We are all in trouble if Obama gets the presidency. And no not because he is African American, but because of some of the things he has said in his speeches. I personally am not happy with any of the candidates that we have. I also agree that discrimination is a problem in this world, but it is not just against African Americans. I used to live in Chicago and was very much discriminated because I was white. There is discrimination where ever you go and it doesn't matter what race, color or creed you are someone is going to be discriminated about. And as for:

snuggler, what world are you living in where "alot of African Americans are getting help driving new cars and buying expensive clothing" , please come back to reality

I am in reality. I have no problem with who has what, but don't come back at me and tell me that "it's your fault and you owe us"...I don't OWE anyone anything except for my son. And when people are living in one state and getting help and having a fake address in another state and getting help there also...yes I have a problem. And yes your right it's not just the African American, it's also any of the other races.

I believe that if we are going to help people then it needs to be for a couple of years at the most to get their training or back on their feet, not for years and years so that they can just keep having babies and getting help (and yes I lost one of my best friends for saying this because she was one that did it.) Last time I saw her she was talking about having another baby because she was about to be put off the system. That is wrong no matter how you look at it.

Why is the holocaust mentioned again and again again??? I say to those of you who keep bringing up the holocaust get over it already the world owes you nothing.

He has lamented them and spoken openly about the abuse. He has apologized for all of the weak men that prey on children. They are everywhere, don't you watch dateline? Society is sick and the internet makes it easier and easier. The sex abuse scandal has been wide open for many years now. Give it up!

But that's just it! The title of the article made it seem like the "injustices" were the main part of the Pope's homily. When, the majority of the article mentioned his comments regarding the sex scandals and how this is the 3rd time he has talked about them. I think the title of the article did a major injustice to the Pope's entire message - and then msnbc encourages us to comment about something he spoke so little about.

You tell them, Mary. And he's trying to bring back some of the good old days of "the one true church."

If you are a Father or Mother of your kids who had converted to Catholic, yes you can dredge up history of the Catholic Church to talk to them, because you have the right to do so.
The Pope is the father of the Catholics, here it happened to be Americans, of course had the rights to speak to American Catholics anything he wants. If you are not an American Catholic, mind your own business, the pope wasn't talking to you.

When making arguments, please stick to legitimate facts that can be proven. You state that he, as cardinal, instructed american catholics to keep the child abuse secret until the statute of limitations had expired; however I can find no source anywhere that substantiates that claim. By simply placing it in your argument you not only mislead all of the readers, but you cast further doubt over your entire posting. Let us remember that Pope Benedict did not deny any transgressions of the past. His comments were simply comments made about a particular issue. There are countless issues that he could have made comments about on any number of topics. The fact that he did not make comments on those topics does not mean that they are less important nor does it mean that he is not aware of them. For example, and this is simplifying things to the nth degree just to make a point: If it is my brothers birthday and I call him and tell him happy birthday, what I am doing is wishing him well about one particular event, his birthday. I could also say other facts such as "you are my brother" or "the temperature is 64 degrees today," and they would be no less true. By leaving them out, it does not mean that I am not aware of them, it simply means that what I DID say was what I wanted to say. Many people have somebody that they hold in high esteem. The Pope holds a position of importance to many. Thus, his words are relevant. It is not necessary for a statement to be important to all people everywhere before it is made. Thus I think it is perfectly acceptable for him to make the statements he made. Regardless of his past or the Catholic church's past, stating truths about history are relevant no matter who makes them.

Dear Terry Price Slavery is Slavery. Weather your tied to a plow or a cross about to be eaten by an animal or spitted from your back side to your mouth it still is bad. While each of us tends to think ours was the worse, it's all bad. However, at some time we have to get over it and stop reliving it or it will eat at you like a cancer and kill you. We as a nation have apologized to Japan for doing something they where going to do to us. If I apologize to every body in the world for every thing that was ever done by a "white" person will it make it go away. NO! Why, because there are allot of people who like to blame others for there lot in life. Please forgive me and lets get on with life

not just sexual abuse.

Why don't you send your reply to the Pope.....since you believe in the authority and power of a corrupt church. The Roman Catholic Church is a contrived political invention of a Roman ruler to consolidate his power by merging paganism with nascent Christianity. That it has survived for so long is largely due to the use of violence to destroy dissent, and using coercion to extract obedience to church dogmas and doctrines among the poor and uneducated. This Pope was the head of what was once called the Inquisition before being named Pope.

Mary, please read a history book before making the ridiculous claim that Catholicism arose due to a joining of paganism and christianity under Constantine in 313 AD. The Church was alive and well centuries before that, with all its beliefs intact.

Don't assume that the Christian churches were always of the Roman-Catholic type. Even afterwards, Christians who dissented from Roman-Catholicism were persecuted. Roman-Catholicism was only the first government-sancitioned "Christian" church. Read more history. Please.

Dan Cantrell do your research before you start rambling on.

Average welfare child is white, has one sibling and unmarried mother, gov't statistics show
Contrary to popular belief, there are more White children on welfare than Black children, according to statistics from the Census Bureau and Department of Health and Human Services.
Nearly 9 million children on welfare in 1995 were White, the statistics show, compared to 4.8 million Black children.
The typical child on Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) is White and lives in the rural South, Appalachia or the downtrodden areas of major cities.
The statistics also show that the average child on welfare is 7 years old, his mother is 29 and single, and the child has one brother or sister.
Their welfare parent qualifies for only the lowest-paying jobs in the workforce.
Despite prevailing stereotype, Whites, not Blacks, collect greatest share of public aid dollars
SAY the word "welfare" and immediately the image of the lazy Black welfare queen who breeds for profit surfaces in the minds of those who have come to believe the hideous stereotype. It is a myth that persists despite government figures and authoritative studies showing that Whites overwhelmingly reap the lion's share of the dole.

tired 268701 says: Nearly 9 million children on welfare in 1995 were White, the statistics show, compared to 4.8 million Black children.
Yes, but let's look at these stats compared to the percentage of the population that each group represents. Whites are about 70%, Blacks about 10% of the overall population. In a total population of 300 million, that means that out of 70% (210million Whites), 9 million White children are on welfare and out of 10% (30million Blacks), 4.8 million Black children are on welfare. Do you get it?
Maybe if the Blacks who are whining about discrimination, who are not raising their children, who are teens having baby after baby out of wedlock, who are participating in crime, would instead LOOK TO THEIR FELLOW BLACKS who have put their nose to the grindstone, gotten an education, who are fully involved in parenting their children, who are maintaining a marriage or at least a long-lasting monogamous relationship for their children to live in, who are living honest, decent lives and contributing to the overall good and benefit of the society, maybe these whiners could better themselves and be happier for it. Whining about slavery and the past and the 'you owe me's" is not going to get you anywhere. Some of your leaders are playing you just to keep you donating money to them!. LOOK TO ROLE MODELS WITHIN YOUR OWN RACE-- THERE ARE MANY GOOD PEOPLE THERE! See what they've been able to do, copy them, and lift yourselves up! If you feel discriminated somewhere, take your time and your money to a place that makes you feel better. Listen to Malcolm X and spend your money with your fellow Black people where you can, and otherwise spend it where people treat you as you should be treated -- courteously.
Pick yourselves up, stop the whining, it may take a couple of your family's generations to 'make it' but having goals is better than sitting around being angry or feeling sorry for yourselves. COPY THE GAME PLANS OF OTHER BLACK PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE IT.
(Please...if Black and Black People are not the right words to say, I apologize...I try to address people in a respectful manner and hope I've not failed to , here)

this is not true...I am white and I was denied benefits in Memphis, TN. The "so-called" counselor took one look at how much/little money I was making working sometimes 40 hours or more per week in order to get by at 7 dollars an hour and she told me, "You make too much money to qualify." She didn't look at or take anything else into consideration except my skin color. You want to talk research and all that? Go out sometime and see who's begging whom for what. Guarantee you you will see more coloreds asking for this and that than non-coloreds. Just the other day a colored asked me for a dang quarter...then another came up to me in a grocery store begging for some money to buy food. Go to 3230 Jackson Ave and do your research there for a day, do a tally and then say what you're saying.

Did you really just use the term "Coloreds"? Priceless. It's absolutely priceless to know that even though I have not one, but three degrees and as a black woman, I'm still seen as "colored". Absolutely priceless.

Dan, do you have any idea how racist this sounds? The welfare system was instituted in this country, not for the poor and underclass/underprivileged, but exclusively for BLACKS, to right injustices from the past with handouts, behind which we hide? That's certainly what you're implying. Why can't we be just trying to truly grant the American Dream for ALL American peoples, whether young or old, black or white or whatever, rich or poor, male or female, by trying our best to make the opportunities as equal for all as possible? Do black people really threaten that much, that they're lazy if they ask for what they've been denied for so long (we may not be in shackles any more, but MLK just died 40 years ago - (hardly eons, not in anyone's ANCESTORS' lifetime) for NONVIOLENT civil protests), undeserving if they receive any, and ungrateful if they receive some but not enough?