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	Much for Pope to Do, Say in U.S. By Manya A. Brachear and Margaret Ramirez Fresno Bee April 14, 2008 http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/523131.html CHICAGO — Shortly after he sets foot on American soil this week, Pope Benedict XVI will strive to set a tone of compassion and reassurance for a church still haunted by the sins of sexually abusive priests. In Washington, D.C., the pontiff will remind U.S. bishops of their mission to serve God by easing victims' pain and tending their flock. And in New York he will deliver a message of "trust and hope" to clergy in an effort to restore confidence in the church. But some scholars think that whether the pope also addresses other key issues facing the U.S. church could determine how much his flock heeds what he has to say. Though the sexual abuse scandal dominated headlines and damaged the church, it also underscored greater challenges that have been simmering for 40 years. These include an exodus of "cradle Catholics" and their replacement by waves of immigrants, dissent over church teachings on sexuality, and heated debates over clerical authority and lay leadership fueled by a crippling priest shortage. "The way that the pope can connect is by speaking pastorally to a church that has gone through some very difficult times and is now trying to find its way again," said Robert Orsi, religion professor and chair in Catholic studies at Northwestern University. There is no consensus about the best way forward. Some believe the pope should recognize that the church has entered an age when it must grant more power to the laity. "If he has come to reimpose a model of clerical authority that sees priests as presiding over lay people, that's going to be very harmful," Orsi said. "He will alienate American Catholics and they will not hear him again." Others would welcome a stern lecture to bishops they believe let the church down by giving in to assimilation with modern American ideals and taking Vatican II reforms too far. On his five-day visit to Washington and New York, Benedict will be balancing his roles as a world leader and as Vicar of Christ for 1 billion Catholics, 67 million of whom reside in the U.S. The leader of the world's Roman Catholics has been to the White House only once in history. But this week's visit will change that, and President Bush is pulling out all the stops: driving out to a suburban military base to meet Benedict's plane, bringing a giant audience to the South Lawn and hosting a fancy East Room dinner. These are all firsts. Bush has never before given a visiting leader the honor of picking him up at the airport. In fact, no president has done so at Andrews Air Force Base, the typical landing spot for modern leaders. A crowd of up to 12,000 is due at the White House on Wednesday morning for the pope's official, pomp-filled arrival ceremony. It will feature the U.S. and Holy See anthems, a 21-gun salute, and the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. Both men will make remarks before their Oval Office meeting and a send-off for his popemobile down Pennsylvania Avenue. The White House crowd will be the largest of Bush's presidency. It even beats the audience last spring for Queen Elizabeth II, which numbered about 7,000. The Diocese of Fresno is among those preparing a special welcome for the pope later in the week. The diocese has produced a 100-second video, to be shown on the giant scoreboard screen at Nationals Park, the new baseball stadium in Washington, when the pontiff celebrates Mass there Thursday morning. The video was produced by KNXT, Channel 49, the diocese's Fresno-based television station. In it,parishioners extend greetings to the pope in Hmong, Portuguese, Spanish and English. Clips show them in activities that capture the diocese's diversity and what it means to be Catholic.
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