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	Boston Cardinal Talks about Pope's Visit O'Malley Says Benedict Could Not Travel to All Cities Affected by Scandal TheBostonChannel April 17, 2008 http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/15907903/detail.html BOSTON -- Boston's Roman Catholic Cardinal Sean O'Malley is disappointed that Pope Benedict XVI is not stopping in Boston, but O'Malley said he's pleased with the visiting pontiff's message. NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that O'Malley is travelling with Benedict as the pope visits Washington and New York. Boston was the epicenter of the priest sex abuse scandal, which began six years ago when it was revealed that some priests had sexually abused children over decades and the church leadership covered it up by transferring abusive priests from parish to parish. Former Boston Cardinal Bernard Law was forced out as a result and now has a post in Rome. O'Malley replaced him. Many of the Boston-area sex abuse victims had hoped Benedict would come to Boston to make amends for the abuse, but the 81-year-old pope is only visiting two cities during his first U.S. visit. O'Malley, however, has been one of Benedict's guests during the visit. "It's been a very moving experience, first of all, to have the Holy Father on our shores and to see the outpouring of love and affection on the part of the Catholic people ... " O'Malley said. Reflecting on the pope's first full day in America, O'Malley said he's pleased with the way Benedict has addressed the clergy sex abuse scandal. "I fully expected him to address this problem and he certainly talked about the consequences that it has had and our need to work to prevent this from happening again by ensuring the safety of children," O'Malley said. O'Malley is disappointed the pope passed on an invitation to Boston, but said it was impossible for Benedict to visit every archdiocese affected by the scandal. "The sex abuse crisis affected the entire church in the United States and the Holy Father's message is to all Americans, not just in Boston," O'Malley said. There have been rumors that the pope may visit with some of the victims, but that has not been confirmed. In the meantime, O'Malley said he is eager to hear what the pope has to say when he meets with Catholic educators on Thursday.
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