Report Pope to Visit Boston Next Year Sources Say Visits to U.S. Scheduled for April, TheBostonChannel.com, September 17, 2007

Report: Pope to Visit Boston Next Year
Sources Say Visits to U.S. Scheduled for April

TheBostonChannel.com
September 17, 2007

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/14132785/detail.html

Boston — Pope Benedict XVI may be making a stop in Boston during an apostolic journey to the United States next year, according to a published report.

The trip is tentatively scheduled for April 15 to 20, and it includes visits to Boston, New York, Washington, and possibly Baltimore, the Catholic News Agency reported. The trip will be centered around a speech before the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Is Pope Headed To Boston?

"Nothing official has been said, but those responsible for doing the planning have definitely mentioned it as a possible candidate for a visit," said David Uebbing, of the

Catholic News Agency.

Boston will reportedly be the Pope's last stop of the trip, where he will address the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Archdiocese of Boston.

"It being sort of the first place that the sex abuse scandal really took off, it would make sense for him to come visit," Uebbing said. "It's a wound in the church and a wound that needs to be healed, and I know that the Vatican is definitely aware of it and does want to address it."

Sources said that the Pope's visit to Massachusetts would end with a Mass on Boston Common.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley is currently traveling, and was not available for comment, but the church released a statement on its Web site.

"Any talk about a potential visit to Boston by the Holy Father is just speculation. The Vatican has not informed the Archdiocese whether Pope Benedict XVI will visit Boston. While we would be honored and blessed to host a visit by the Pope, as would dioceses around the country and the world, we simply do not know at this time," the Archdiocese of Boston said in a statement.