NC Catholics Travel to See Pope Benedict
The Apostolic Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States provided American Catholics and the entire country with an opportunity to learn more about the Holy Father, who celebrated his third anniversary as Pope during his six-day visit.
Approximately 200 Catholics from the Diocese of Raleigh participated in the various events in Washington, D.C. and New York City. One hundred Diocesan faithful joined the Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge and approximately thirty priests of the Diocese at the Papal Mass held at Nationals Park in the nation’s capital. Fifty recipients of tickets were present for the Papal Mass in New York City, along with fifteen Diocesan seminarians. The seminarians were also present at the Papal youth rally and prayer service at Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York. In addition Father Anthony De Candia and Father Marco Antonio Gonzalez-Hernandez were among hundreds of priests who con-celebrated Mass with the Holy Father at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
Bishop Burbidge called the Holy Father’s visit one of “great enthusiasm and great joy” that went beyond expectations. “He came preaching a message of hope,” Bishop Burbidge said, commenting on Pope Benedict’s confronting the clergy child sex abuse crisis. In discussing hope, the Bishop said, “We also have to admit the darkness that is in our midst. He is very aware of the darkness.” Bishop Burbidge added, “How does healing take place? Through an acknowledgement.”
As he reflected on the Apostolic Visit, the Bishop said, “This is a time of great renewal.” He noted, “The Holy Father brought us back to the foundations of our faith and to the priorities we must have in our lives; that our eyes are found not just here on earthly things, but on that which is above.”
The Bishop added that the Pope’s visit “renewed us in our commitment to serve Christ Jesus, to serve His Church and to serve those in most need, enthusiastically, sincerely, boldly proclaiming that Jesus is the reason for our hope and for our joy.”