Pope addresses UN in NY as US visit continues
{{date|April 19, 2008}}
[[Image:BentoXVI-30-10052007.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Benedict XVI]]
[[Benedict XVI]] arrived in [[New York]] Friday, as part of his [[w:List of journeys of Pope Benedict XVI#United States (April 15 to April 20, 2008)|visit]] to the [[United States]]. The first part of his visit was spent in [[Washington, D.C.]]. He arrived on "Shepherd One", a specially dedicated plane belonging to [[w:Alitalia|Alitalia]], the [[w:flag carrier|flag carrier]] of [[Italy]].

On the first day of his visit to [[New York, New York|New York City]], he went to the [[United Nations]] (UN) and addressed the [[w:United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]]. In his speech he urged leaders to solve world crises together, though the world still remains subject to "the decisions of a few," whom he did not name. Benedict XVI is the third [[w:Pope|Pope]] to address the United Nations in person.

The primary focus of his speech was about dialogue, diplomacy and human rights. He delivered the speech in both [[w:French language|French]] and [[w:English language|English]]. Benedict XVI said it was the duty of every nation to guarantee [[human rights]].

"If states are unable to guarantee such protection, it is then up to the international community to intervene with the legal means that are provided for under the United Nations Charter and other international instruments," the Pope said.

The Pope argued that national sovereignty should not stand in the way of protecting human rights. "On the contrary, it is indifference or non-intervention which cause the real harm," he said.
[[Image:20080416 Benedict XVI in Washington DC.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Pope Benedict in the [[w:Popemobile|Popemobile]] on Wednedsday in Washington, D.C.{{Image source|[http://flickr.com/photos/11537264@N00 John]}}]]
The concept of "responsibility to protect," has also been championed by [[w:United Nations Secretary-General|UN Secretary-General]] [[Ban Ki-moon]], in seeking international action in regions like [[Darfur]].

Benedict XVI said that religion should not be excluded at the UN because it is "a social order respectful of the dignity and rights of the person." He further added "It should never be necessary to deny God in order to enjoy one's rights. The rights associated with religion are all the more in need of protection if they are considered to clash with a prevailing secular ideology or with majority religious positions of an exclusive nature."
[[Image:Pope Benedict Supports in New York by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|right|200px|People wait in New York to see Pope Benedict XVI.{{Image source|[[User:David Shankbone|David Shankbone]]}}]]
On Friday afternoon, after the UN address, Benedict met with members of the local [[Judaism|Jewish]] clergy at the [[w:Park East Synagogue|Park East Synagogue]], an [[w:Upper East Side|Upper East Side]] [[w:Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] [[w:synagogue|synagogue]] in New York City.

"The Jewish community make a valuable contribution to the life of the city," Benedict XVI told the congregation, "and I encourage all of you to continue building bridges of friendship with all the many different ethnic and religious groups present in your neighborhood."

[[w:Rabbi|Rabbi]] [[w:Arthur Schneier|Arthur Schneier]] told the Pope, that the visit was "a reaffirmation of your outreach, good will, and commitment to enhancing Jewish-Catholic relations."

Thursday, Benedict XVI held [[w:Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] at [[w:Nationals Park|Nationals Park]] with an estimated 47,000 people attending. During the Mass he spoke about the [[w:Roman Catholic sex abuse cases by country#United States|sexual abuse by clergy]]. "No words of mine can describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse nor the damage that has occurred within the community of the church," he said. "I ask you to love your priests and affirm the good works they do."

Afterwards, Benedict XVI met privately with some of the abuse victims. Reverend Federico Lombardi, a spokeperson, said he met with five or six abuse victims for approximately 25 minutes.

One of these victims, Bernie McDaid, told [[w:Associated Press|Associated Press]] (AP) about his meeting. "I said, 'Holy Father, you need to know you have a cancer in your flock and I hope you will do something for this problem; you have to fix this,'" McDaid said. "He looked down at the floor and back at me, like, 'I know what you mean.' He took it in emotionally. We looked eye to eye."

Olan Horne, another victim who has worked with McCaid told AP, "I believe we turned the pope's head a little in the right direction."

According to a Vatican official, [[w:Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] [[w:Seán P. O'Malley|Seán P. O'Malley]], the [[w:Archbishop|Archbishop]] of Boston, gave the Pope a list of some 1,000 boys and girls who had been abused in the [[w:Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston|Boston Archdiocese]] going back several decades.

"The fact that we finally got the pope to actually stand up and put a statement on record, I really think he set the bar this week," said Gary Bergeron to the ''[[w:The New York Times|The New York Times]]''. Bergeron says he was abused by a priest in [[w:Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], [[Massachusetts]].

Later on Thursday, Benedict met with religious leaders of various faiths at the [[w:Pope John Paul II Cultural Center|Pope John Paul II Cultural Center]]. He told them that, "Americans have always valued the ability to worship freely and in accordance with their conscience". He added, "children of all religions sit side-by-side, learning with one another and from one another. This diversity gives rise to new challenges that spark a deeper reflection on the core principles of a democratic society. 

"May others take heart from your experience, realising that a united society can indeed arise from a plurality of peoples, ... provided that all recognize religious liberty as a basic civil right," the pontiff said.

During the next couple of days in New York, Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to hold Mass at [[w:Yankee Stadium|Yankee Stadium]] and visit the [[w:World Trade Center|World Trade Center site]].

{{haveyoursay}}
== Related news ==
*{{wikinews|title=Pope Benedict XVI visit to the United States begins|date=April 16, 2008}}

== Sources ==
{{Commons|Category:Benedict XVI in United States}}
{{Wikipediapar|Pope Benedict XVI}}
*{{source|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/us/nationalspecial2/18cnd-pope.html?em&ex=1208664000&en=59285561454c3111&ei=5087%0A
|title=In Speech, Pope Urges Promotion of Human Rights
|author=Warren Hoge and Ian Fisher
|pub=The New York Times
|date=April 18, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://voanews.com/english/2008-04-18-voa31.cfm
|title=Pope Benedict Addresses UN General Assembly
|author=|pub=VOA News
|date=April 18, 2008}}
*{{source-pr|url=http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26377&Cr=pope&Cr1=
|title=Addressing General Assembly, Pope stresses major UN role on raft of issues
|pub=United Nations
|date=April 18, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g3OuOQHnwKDTZMaCuEy-jYhTOkfgD9049JHG0
|title=After intimate meeting, pope turns to global audience
|author=Eric Gorski, Associated Press
|pub=Google News
|date=April 18, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7354023.stm
|title=Pope's US tour moves to New York
|author=|pub=BBC News Online
|date=April 18, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=abuGEpov.2Ak&refer=us
|title=Pope Urges Healing, Reconciliation in Abuse Scandal
|author=Nadine Elsibai
|pub=Bloomberg L.P.
|date=April 18, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/18/AR2008041800921.html?hpid=topnews
|title=Pontiff Prays With Sex Abuse Victims
|author=Jacqueline L. Salmon, Michelle Boorstein and Alan Cooperman
|pub=The Washington Post
|date=April 18, 2008}}
*{{source-pr|url=http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/dinamiche/d2_en.htm
|title=Discovering Truth: Purpose of Inter-Religious Dialogue
|pub=Holy See
|date=April 17, 2008}}
*{{source|url=http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/04/15/a-look-inside-the-papal-plane-shepherd-one.aspx
|title=A look inside the papal plane, Shepherd One
|author=Ronald Nurwisah
|pub=National Post
|date=April 15, 2008}}

{{publish}}
{{archived}}

[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:New York]]
[[Category:New York, New York]]
[[Category:The Vatican]]
[[Category:United Nations]]
[[Category:Darfur]]
[[Category:Human rights]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Pope Benedict XVI]]
[[Category:Ban Ki-moon]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic Church]]
[[Category:New York Times]]
Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI arrived in New York Friday, as part of his visit to the United States. The first part of his visit was spent in Washington, D.C.. He arrived on "Shepherd One", a specially dedicated plane belonging to Alitalia, the flag carrier of Italy.

On the first day of his visit to New York City, he went to the United Nations (UN) and addressed the General Assembly. In his speech he urged leaders to solve world crises together, though the world still remains subject to "the decisions of a few," whom he did not name. Benedict XVI is the third Pope to address the United Nations in person.

The primary focus of his speech was about dialogue, diplomacy and human rights. He delivered the speech in both French and English. Benedict XVI said it was the duty of every nation to guarantee human rights.

"If states are unable to guarantee such protection, it is then up to the international community to intervene with the legal means that are provided for under the United Nations Charter and other international instruments," the Pope said.

The Pope argued that national sovereignty should not stand in the way of protecting human rights. "On the contrary, it is indifference or non-intervention which cause the real harm," he said.
Popemobile on Wednedsday in Washington, D.C.
The concept of "responsibility to protect," has also been championed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in seeking international action in regions like Darfur.

Benedict XVI said that religion should not be excluded at the UN because it is "a social order respectful of the dignity and rights of the person." He further added "It should never be necessary to deny God in order to enjoy one's rights. The rights associated with religion are all the more in need of protection if they are considered to clash with a prevailing secular ideology or with majority religious positions of an exclusive nature."
People wait in New York to see Pope Benedict XVI.
On Friday afternoon, after the UN address, Benedict met with members of the local Jewish clergy at the Park East Synagogue, an Upper East Side Orthodox synagogue in New York City.

"The Jewish community make a valuable contribution to the life of the city," Benedict XVI told the congregation, "and I encourage all of you to continue building bridges of friendship with all the many different ethnic and religious groups present in your neighborhood."

Rabbi Arthur Schneier told the Pope, that the visit was "a reaffirmation of your outreach, good will, and commitment to enhancing Jewish-Catholic relations."

Thursday, Benedict XVI held Mass at Nationals Park with an estimated 47,000 people attending. During the Mass he spoke about the sexual abuse by clergy. "No words of mine can describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse nor the damage that has occurred within the community of the church," he said. "I ask you to love your priests and affirm the good works they do."

Afterwards, Benedict XVI met privately with some of the abuse victims. Reverend Federico Lombardi, a spokeperson, said he met with five or six abuse victims for approximately 25 minutes.

One of these victims, Bernie McDaid, told Associated Press (AP) about his meeting. "I said, 'Holy Father, you need to know you have a cancer in your flock and I hope you will do something for this problem; you have to fix this,'" McDaid said. "He looked down at the floor and back at me, like, 'I know what you mean.' He took it in emotionally. We looked eye to eye."

Olan Horne, another victim who has worked with McCaid told AP, "I believe we turned the pope's head a little in the right direction."

According to a Vatican official, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, the Archbishop of Boston, gave the Pope a list of some 1,000 boys and girls who had been abused in the Boston Archdiocese going back several decades.

"The fact that we finally got the pope to actually stand up and put a statement on record, I really think he set the bar this week," said Gary Bergeron to the The New York Times. Bergeron says he was abused by a priest in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Later on Thursday, Benedict met with religious leaders of various faiths at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. He told them that, "Americans have always valued the ability to worship freely and in accordance with their conscience". He added, "children of all religions sit side-by-side, learning with one another and from one another. This diversity gives rise to new challenges that spark a deeper reflection on the core principles of a democratic society. 

"May others take heart from your experience, realising that a united society can indeed arise from a plurality of peoples, ... provided that all recognize religious liberty as a basic civil right," the pontiff said.

During the next couple of days in New York, Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to hold Mass at Yankee Stadium and visit the World Trade Center site.
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