http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-22539

It’s even better the second time.

Here are a few more sentences that are noteworthy.

“From a small flock like that described in the first reading, the Church in America has been built up in fidelity to the twin commandment of love of God and love of neighbor. In this land of freedom and opportunity, the Church has united a widely diverse flock in the profession of the faith and, through her many educational, charitable and social works, has also contributed significantly to the growth of American society as a whole.

This great accomplishment was not without its challenges. Today’s first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, speaks of linguistic and cultural tensions already present within the earliest Church community. At the same time, it shows the power of the word of God, authoritatively proclaimed by the Apostles and received in faith, to create a unity which transcends the divisions arising from human limitations and weakness.”

Full credit to the SQPN visionaries for what they are accomplishing here.

Currently I am checking in a couple times a day to see what may be new. It’s also working as planned and introducing me to new web sites I likely would not have found on my own.

Thanks SQPN Team.

“My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers,” he told the crowd at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers.

“Its influence grew, infiltrating schools and civic bodies as well as politics and even religion before it was fully recognized for the monster it was,” the pope said.

“Many of your grandparents and great-grandparents will have recounted the horror of the destruction that ensued. Indeed, some of them came to America precisely to escape such terror.”

As he praised the spread of democracy and respect for human rights, the pope cautioned about the dangers people face in the modern world.

“I am thinking of those affected by drug and substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism, violence and degradation — especially of girls and women,” the pope said.

And he decried “new injustices,” including environmental problems.

The Earth “groans under the weight of consumerist greed and irresponsible exploitation,” he said.

The pope received a rousing welcome at the rally, with about 25,000 young Catholics from throughout the United States cheering, chanting “We love you” and waving white and yellow scarves as he arrived. The crowd also sang “Happy Birthday” in German, applauding when the pontiff said he gave them an “A-plus” for their German pronunciation. Benedict turned 81 on Wednesday.

Before Saturday’s rally, he blessed a group of children with disabilities and told them it was a special joy to spend time with them.

“Sometimes, it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured,” the pope told the children and their caregivers.

“God has blessed you with life and with differing talents and gifts. Through these, you are able to serve him and society in various ways.”

He shook hands with and touched the faces of the children, many of whom were in wheelchairs.

Earlier, Pope Benedict XVI again addressed the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal, assuring priests, nuns and other religious of his “spiritual closeness” as they recover from the scandal’s damage.

“I have already had occasion to speak of this and of the resulting damage to the community of the faithful,” he said during Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.

“I join you in praying that this will be a time of purification for each and every particular church and religious community and a time for healing. I also encourage you to cooperate with your bishops who continue to work to resolve this issue.”

As a side note to the Pope and any of his advisors that may read this posting…there are at least a few of us Catholic faithful that would like to see the Pope add text added to the Catholic Canon that requires Bishops to remove priests and any Catholic leaders that are suspected of harming children and to require Bishops to encourage local prosecutors to investigate all suspected crimes committed by Catholic leaders in order to seek an unbiased investigation and/or appropriate jail time under governmental laws. Forgiveness for crimes against children can come from God after the jail time. Or priests can be cleared by Prosecutors and legal systems that have an unbiased fiduciary responsibility to serve local citizens. The Prosecutor’s unbiased investigations are the only way to reliably answer sexual abuse accusations that are not not true.