Campus Catholics See Pope

Some Catholics on campus will be making the trek to Washington, D.C. or New York City this week to hear Pope Benedict XVI speak on his first visit to the U.S.

Danielle C. Kijewski ’11 is going to see the Pope in D.C.’s new National Stadium, one of his many destinations in the coming days. Other stops include Ground Zero and Yankee Stadium in New York City.

“I am very much excited and inspired by his coming,” Kijewski said. “This is a time when many Catholics in America are facing tough choices, and Pope Benedict XVI’s coming may serve as a reminder for us to remember God and figure out where He is in our lives.”

Greeted by President Bush and his family, the Pope arrived in D.C. on Tuesday afternoon.

Some Catholics on campus say they hope the Pope’s visit will heal troubles facing the Catholic Church today.

“I am absolutely thrilled that the Pope is coming here,” said Matthew P. Cavedon ’11, a Harvard Catholic Students Association (CSA) board member.

“The Church in America has suffered a great deal lately, largely because of its shortcomings in keeping true to God’s will, and a lot of us have high hopes that the Pope can bring a sense of comfort back again.”

The Pope began addressing the thousands of sex abuse scandals to reporters even before he landed in the U.S., citing measures such as special training to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again.

The Pope is not only reaching out to Catholics, but also to other faith groups. During his trip, he has met with some of the authors of the Common Word, a document calling for Christian-Muslim dialogue that Muslim leaders around the world authored after the Pope made derogatory remarks about Islam in 2006.

This November, the Pope will meet with Catholic and Muslim leaders for an interfaith dialogue in Rome.

The Pope is also reaching out to the American Jewish community and will visit a synagogue for the third time in papal history.

“This is such a great opportunity for him to reach out to Catholics and non-Catholics alike,” CSA member Neil C. Murthy ’08 said. “I hope his time here will be fruitful and will inspire all of us on our own faith journeys.”