Washington, USA - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday again acknowledged the pain the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal has caused, and urged all Catholics to help heal the wounds.
Celebrating Mass under blue skies in center field at Washington's new ballpark, the pope gave a 20-minute homily that focused on hope, repentance, unity and reconciliation among the 70 million Catholics in the United States.
"It is in the context of this hope, born of God's love and fidelity, that I acknowledge the pain which the church in America has experienced as the result of sexual abuse of minors," Benedict said.
"No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse. It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention."
He said the church has worked "to deal honestly and fairly with this tragic situation" and to ensure that children are safe.
But he also urged all Catholics to do their part to repair the damage.
"Today I encourage each of you to do what you can to foster healing and reconciliation and to assist those who have been hurt," he said.
"Also, I ask you to love your priests and to affirm them in the excellent work that they do," he added.
"Through the surpassing power of Christ's grace, entrusted to frail human ministers, the church is constantly reborn and each of us is given the hope of a new beginning."
Before the Mass began, Benedict took a lap in the "popemobile" around the field at Nationals Park.
The pontiff rolled down his specialized vehicle's window to wave to the thousands gathered to hear him preach.
Fourteen Roman Catholic cardinals, 250 bishops, 1,300 priests, four choirs totaling 570 singers, and as many as 46,000 worshippers greeted the pope with songs, cheers and reverence.
Many of the enthusiastic faithful shaded themselves with Mass programs after traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles to attend. Local churches held lottery drawings to distribute tickets to the event.
Everyone in the park had to go through metal detectors on entering, and nearby roads and bridges were closed.
Temporary flight restrictions were in place over the park, and a 1½-mile section of the adjacent Anacostia River was closed until the Mass concluded just before noon.
As the Mass ended, a smiling Benedict XVI walked in procession with his papal miter on his head and shepherd's staff, or crosier, in his hand. He slowed frequently to shake hands and bestow blessings on those fortunate enough to have seats on the field.
The pope is scheduled Thursday evening to address Catholic educators at the Catholic University of America in Washington, then take part in an interreligious gathering at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center adjacent to the university.
Benedict will travel to New York on Friday and address the U.N. General Assembly, linking the visit to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He'll celebrate Mass on Sunday morning at Yankee Stadium.
The pope on Wednesday addressed issues ranging from the sex abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church to the easy availability of pornography to the "alarming decrease" in Catholic marriages in the United States.
He spoke at a prayer service with U.S. bishops at Washington's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Roman Catholic Church in North America.
Benedict said the sexual abuse of children by priests has caused a "deep shame" and called it "gravely immoral behavior."
"Many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed ... their obligations," he told the bishops.
Responding to the situation has not been easy and was sometimes very badly handled, the pope admitted.
"It is vitally important that the vulnerable are always shielded from souls who would cause harm," he said.
Earlier Wednesday, President Bush, first lady Laura Bush and more than 13,500 spectators welcomed Benedict in an elaborate ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.
In remarks greeting the pope at the White House, Bush called the United States "a nation of prayer."
Bush was interrupted by applause as he said, "In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred and that each of us is willed."
Following the ceremony, Bush and the pope had a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office.
One of the stated goals of the pope's visit is to energize the U.S. Catholic community with its estimated 70 million members.