Making an impact

By Sam Lucero
News and Information Manager

Before his pastoral visit to Washington D.C. and New York April 15-20, Pope Benedict XVI was a stranger to most Americans. Only three years removed from his previous role as head of the Vatican's doctrinal congregation - where then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was known more for upholding authentic church doctrine than holding audiences with world leaders - the German pope did not exude a shepherd's charisma.

To make matters more difficult, he succeeded one of the most beloved pontiffs in church history. (And Packers QB Aaron Rogers thinks he has big shoes to fill.) As church historians ponder the long-term impact of Pope Benedict's U.S. visit, papal observers inside and outside of the church offer their assessments. For the most part, opinions have been favorable.

Pope Benedict was able to do what his predecessor was unable to do: give hope to survivors of clergy sexual abuse. His April 17 meeting with six abuse survivors may well be remembered as a turning point in the scandal. The survivors were brought to Washington D.C. from the Archdiocese of Boston by Cardinal Sean O'Malley.

Since the meeting was private, the only details came from a few of the survivors who spoke publicly. One of the most compelling stories about the encounter was written by journalist Patricia Rice and published in the St. Louis Beacon. Story is available online at www.stlbeacon.org, by typing "Pope Benedict" in site search.

In her story, Rice noted that the pope was given a book with 1,600 first names of victims of clerical sexual abuse from the Boston Archdiocese. Cardinal O'Malley explained that pages were left blank to symbolize victims who never voiced their trauma.

Rice interviewed several of the survivors, including Olan Horne, 48. "The pope was shocked at the number (of victims in Boston)," said Horne. "You could see the sincerity of the shock on his face. He was stunned."

Horne told Rice that he has rarely attended Mass as an adult. Before his meeting with the pope, he attended the papal Mass at Nationals Park with his adult daughter. Ten minutes before the pope arrived, Horne decided to go to confession. He explained his actions later to Benedict.

"I told him that I had not gone to confession in 35 years, but I went 10 minutes before I met him to ask forgiveness because I hated him for years, I hated the church, I hated my God. I told him I wanted forgiveness so that I could be in the same place that he was when I met him. So I could have an open heart."

Lives were changed during Pope Benedict's visit to America. Among them, seven people who gathered in the chapel at the apostolic nuncio's residence in Washington: six survivors of sexual abuse and one pope.