Apr 14, 2008 8:13 am US/Eastern
Pope Benedict XVI Prays For Successful U.S. Visit
VATICAN (CBS) ―
At the Vatican on Sunday Pope Benedict XVI prayed for his first U.S. visit, which comes at a time when the Catholic Church in America is struggling but eager to meet its new Pontiff.
"Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you all to pray for the success of my visit so that it may be a time of spiritual renewal for all Americans," the Pope said.
He plans to share a message of hope and encouragment to American Catholics who've been dealing for several years with the aftermath of sexual abuse scandals, priest shortages and a shifting congregation.
A new poll shows it's the younger and older Catholics who most closely follow the teachings of the Church, leaving a somewhat disenfranchized middle.
The pope will arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in D.C. on Tuesday. President Bush will be there to personally welcome the Pontiff.
In New York, where the Pope arrives Friday, police are tightening security, and plan to enforce frozen zones. This leg of the trip includes a speech to the U.N., mass at Yankee Stadium, and a visit to a synagogue.
"There is a new chapter being written, where Jews and Catholics see each other as spiriutal partners," Rabbi Joseph Potasnik of the N.Y. Board of Rabbis said.
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