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  Pope Benedict Trip To NYC To Focus On Young People

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Pope Benedict Trip To NYC To Focus On Young People

American Idol's Clarkson To Perform At Yonkers Rally

WEST HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBS) ― Many New York City-area Catholics are looking forward to Pope Benedict XVI's visit to America. He'll be here in mid-April and will spend three days in New York. The focus of his visit will be young people.

For many, Pope John Paul II is the only pontiff they've really known, but Pope Benedict has been at his side for decades.

Monsignor Jim Lisante of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hempstead has met both men several times.

"So Benedict has always been part of the picture of John Paul," Monsignor Lisante said. "You can't really separate them out, but we don't know him as a person and the good thing I think about the American trip is that we're going to come to know him much more as a human being."

Pope Benedict was known as the enforcer when he was in charge of church doctrine. Before that he had been a theology professor. He has a talent for clearly explaining complicated issues.

"He worked at a university," Monsignor Lisante said. "He dealt with the 18- to 23-year-old young persons. He knew that if you can't make it clear to them then what's the point of teaching?"

Pope Benedict will hold a youth rally at Saint Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, where former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson will perform for more than 25,000 young people.

"I think he recognizes along with John Paul II that (young people) are the future of the church," Monsignor Lisante said. "They are the future of the world."

Pope Benedict will turn 81 just a few days before the rally.

"I hope many people don't say, 'nice old man pope,' but rather a man of experience who's been around the world who understands where people are coming from and has something to say to us that we need to hear," Monsignor Lisante said.

We'll get our chance when he arrives in New York on April 18.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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