NEW YORK — Pope Benedict XVI focused on the future of his American church Saturday as he marked the third anniversary of his election as pontiff.
He rallied young people, priests and seminarians and assured them of his support as they dealt with the damage from the clergy sex-abuse scandal.
On a highly personal day, he spoke of his own “spiritual poverty” and said he hoped to be a worthy successor to St. Peter, considered the first pope.
Benedict began the day with a Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the landmark Roman Catholic church on Fifth Avenue. The building was packed with cardinals and bishops, priests and nuns, who cheered him to mark the day he succeeded Pope John Paul II on April 19, 2005.
The German-born pope lamented that what he called “the joy of faith” was often choked by cynicism, greed and violence. Yet he drew an analogy to show how faith can overcome distractions and trials.
“The spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis, they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God,” he said.
In America in particular, he has said repeatedly, the religious intensity stands out in marked contrast to the tepid spiritual emphasis in his native Europe. That makes the U.S. a testing ground for him in his bid to counter secular trends in the world.
At the end of the service, Benedict was clearly moved when his top assistant, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, read a tribute for the third anniversary.
Benedict told the crowd of 3,000 that “I am deeply thankful” for the support they showed him, and for “your love, your prayers.”
Benedict later was driven to St. Joseph’s Seminary in nearby Yonkers for a rally with young Catholics and seminarians. Upon arriving, he blessed about 50 disabled youngsters in the seminary chapel. Two small girls gave him a painting and a hug.
The pope got a hero’s welcome at the youth rally from a festive crowd of 25,000, which burst into wild cheers when Benedict first acknowledged them from the stage. He reached out to shake hands with the faithful in the front rows. The youngsters, meanwhile, sang “Happy Birthday” to him — he turned 81 on Wednesday — in his native German.
