BishopAccountability.org
	Pope Benedict Watertown Daily Times April 20, 2008 http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20080420/CURR04/484345121 This week's visit to the United States by Pope Benedict XVI will mean many things to many people. For most Catholics and Protestants, the visit will encourage a time of reflection on their own walks of faiths. For politicians, the visit will require a re-examination of how they fund war and peace. For Catholic academics, the pontiff's presence will challenge them to remain faithful to the church's teachings, which are built on Scripture and experience. For victims of clergy abuse, the visit will comfort them in a way that financial settlements never can. And for the hundreds of thousands who will simply see the pope in person, the visit will likely become a signature moment in their lives. Benedict will inspire many to change, to improve, to renew. And for north country Catholics, it is encouraging to note that the base upon which to build peace and hope remains in place. That the Catholic Church is struggling in this country is no secret. Too many Catholics have fallen away from their faith, and too few Catholics are offering their lives for ordination. Churches and schools are closing in the face of declining rolls and mounting debt. The north county is not immune to these same pressures, which has led to the closing of the seminary in Ogdensburg and the merging or closing of schools in Watertown, Potsdam, Lowville and elsewhere. In 2002, the Diocese of Ogdensburg removed four parish priests for sexual misconduct, which forced then Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito to speed up a plan to close or merge churches. But anyone who thinks the Catholic Church is simply atrophying in the north country need look no further than the Catholic churches in Watertown, where three have undergone massive refurbishment in recent years. Watertown's Catholic churches are leading the way in helping the entire diocese look with confidence toward the future. Through Catholic Charities and the Bishop's Fund Appeal, the north country continues to be touched by the church. And in a time of war for some and economic hardship for many, there has never been a more important time than now for the presence of the Catholic Church. We hope north country Catholics and their friends are comforted and invigorated by the pope's visit. Because only such a renewal of faith can generate the strength needed to continue striving to bring about the kingdom of God on earth.
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