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Newsflash Archives > Pope Benedict Arrives in America, Greets President Bush
Pope Benedict Arrives in America, Greets President Bush
Answers reporters' questions while on papal plane
WASHINGTON, DC, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 -- Pope Benedict XVI arrived in America at 4:10 this afternoon and was greeted by US President George W. Bush on a cool, clear spring afternoon at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
While on the papal plane traveling to America, the Pope answered questions from the reporters traveling with him. Coverage in the first reports of the question-and-answer session focused on the Pope's comments about the sex abuse crisis.
"It is a great suffering for the Church in the United States and for the Church in general and for me personally that this could happen," Benedict said. "It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission... to these children. I am deeply ashamed, and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future."
The Pope spoke in English as he responded to questions submitted by reporters ahead of time.
Benedict pledged that pedophiles would not be priests in the Catholic Church.
"We will absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry," Benedict said. "It is more important to have good priests than many priests. We will do everything possible to heal this wound."
Here are some photographs of the Pope's arrival, taken by American photographer Lee Love of Washington, D.C.
And here are two links to news reports on the Pope's arrival:
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