Church in the World

Bush breaks with tradition to welcome Pope personally to US

The Pope received an unprecedented presidential welcome to the United States on Tuesday when he began an official visit in which he was expected to focus attention on human rights, poverty and faith. President George W. Bush left the White House to meet the Pope at Andrews Air Force Base where he greeted him in front of a wildly cheering crowd. It was an honour which had never before been accorded to a foreign leader by an American president. The cost of the six-day visit, during which the Pope was due to address the United Nations, is currently estimated at US$10 million (£5.1m), and is being covered  largely by private donors.

While the Pope has highlighted the theme of his visit, Christ our Hope, coverage of the start of the visit was dominated by his admission to journalists during his flight that he was deeply troubled by the US clerical sexual abuse scandal.

"I am deeply ashamed and will do whatever is possible so that this does not happen in the future," he said. "Paedophiles will be completely excluded from the priesthood. It is more important to have good priests than many priests. We will do everything possible to heal this wound."

Among those greeting the Pope on his arrival were - as well as President Bush with his wife, Laura, and daughter Jenna - Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's United Nations representative, and Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Security is tight for the Pope's high-profile visit. Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington recently estimated that the DC leg of the visit would cost "at least" US$3m, all of which will come from private sources. A spokeswoman for the archbishop told The New York Times that any funds left over would be donated to a charity of the Pope's choice. The Washington Times reported that the capital's police said its bill for papal security would be reimbursed by the Holy See.

In New York's 2.5-million-member archdiocese, where the Pope celebrates Mass this morning in St Patrick's Cathedral and another tomorrow at Yankee Stadium, a parish collection was taken up, and a source involved in the planning told The Tablet that donors of "major gifts" had received tickets to the papal liturgies as a mark of appreciation. In contrast to the Church in Washington, which organised only one event during the Pope's stay in the capital - a Mass at the Washington Nationals' ballpark on Thursday which 47,000 people were to attend - the Archdiocese of New York has been responsible for the majority of Pope Benedict's six events there, including the liturgies and a youth rally for 26,000 to take place today at its seminary, St Joseph's in Yonkers.

Added to the Church's costs are the unprecedented security measures, both for the Pope and the massive crowds who have flocked to the two cities to catch a glimpse of him. However, in New York, the city's police department will be paid for by taxpayers, as will the federal Secret Service and the use of Andrews Air Force Base. NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly told a press briefing last week that every one of his 37,000 officers would be involved in security during the Pope's visit.

Additionally, the White House held its largest-ever state greeting on Wednesday as more than 10,000 invited guests packed its South Lawn for the papal arrival there, and President Bush held an official dinner that evening in the Pope's honour - complete with a Bavarian menu - but without Pope Benedict. While some stories sought to present the pope's absence as a "snub" to Mr Bush, Vatican custom holds that the Pope does not take his meals in the public gaze.

The American Catholic Church, which has around 65 million members, has undergone serious difficulties in recent years. The clerical sex-abuse scandal, with 500 victims, cost more than US$2 billion and led to five dioceses being made bankrupt. It has also experienced significant demographic changes, with hundreds of parishes closing in old ethnic neighbourhoods. But new immigrants continue to energise the Church. Catholics remain the biggest religious group in the US, making up 23 per cent of the population.