In his first visit to the United States since becoming Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said he was impressed with the vitality of the church and the role that Catholics play in American life.He also challenged North American Catholics to bring young people further into the central life of the church."I have to speak of the vitality, the alive spirit of the people" in North America, said the cardinal, speaking through an interpreter at an Aug. 8 news conference with members of the Catholic press.
There is "a huge identification with being Catholic and with the Catholic Church."
In wide-ranging remarks, he spoke of the urgency to find solutions to the wide range of conflicts in the Middle East and encouraged Catholics -- both politicians and voters -- not to compromise their moral voice in public life.
He also briefly addressed the U.S. church's continuing struggles with the sex abuse scandals.
Cardinal Bertone, who became the Vatican's top diplomat last year, was in the U.S. to deliver an address to the 125th anniversary convention of the Knights of Columbus in Nashville. The convention drew more than 2,600 delegates and clergy from eight nations.
During his four-day visit to Tennessee, Cardinal Bertone also met with various groups of clergy, toured Nashville, celebrated Mass at the newly built chapel of the motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia and attended various functions of the Knights of Columbus.
The cardinal said he recently spoke by telephone with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the Vatican's increasing concern about the conflict in the Middle East, especially the welfare of the Christian minorities in Lebanon, Iraq and other areas.
He emphasized that he wanted to "keep the conversation private," although "there is always the possibility these may be tapped," he said, drawing laughter from the reporters.He praised Rice's efforts to mediate conflicts in the troubled lands.
"I recognize the untiring efforts of the secretary of state in reconciliation among the governments of the Middle East," he said."I told her that her plane flights in her efforts of peace must be accompanied by the angels," he added. "If they weren't accompanied by the angels, she wouldn't be able to knit back together all these relationships that are so fragile."
The cardinal cited three opportunities for next steps: a future trip to Rome by Rice, Pope Benedict XVI's planned trip to the United Nations in 2008, and the convening of international stakeholders in a peace process to end the Iraq War.
Asked if the Vatican was planning to issue guidelines on Catholic politicians who might advocate political positions opposite to church teaching, Cardinal Bertone said the church would not issue new norms "because those norms already exist in the doctrines of the church."
In the 2004 U.S. elections, some bishops said they would refuse the Eucharist to politicians who publicly advocated keeping abortion legal and supported embryonic stem-cell research, among other issues opposed by the church.
He expressed bewilderment that in the U.S., "where freedom of conscience is a major value," any political party could force "a particular choice" or position on a Catholic politician that would be contrary to that politician's personal morality.
"Based on freedom of conscience, I find this a great contradiction, not just here in the United States, but other countries too," he said.
Cardinal Bertone called the years of coping with sex abuse scandals an "unbearable business" for the church.
"The U.S. church has suffered greatly because of the situation," he said. "It has faced this trial with dignity and courage."
He said the church's concerns must go beyond the financial calamities of the scandals to the care of both the victims and the perpetrators of the abuse. The latter, he noted, is more difficult for the public to understand, but the church is obligated to try to reconcile sinners.
Despite their "disgraceful" sins, "we cannot abandon them to perdition," he said.The cardinal said the biggest challenge for the church in North America was attracting more youths into the life and practice of the church.
"It appears that many of the great organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Action and others are suffering from a lack of young people. We have to think of Pope John Paul II and how so many young people responded to his invitations to come together. Pope John Paul II believed in young people," he said.
He praised the Knights' growth but noted, chuckling, that "the average age is a little bit high." He cited the average age of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, whose motherhouse he visited earlier in the day."What do you think the average age is?" he asked. "Thirty-three! I met many young sisters who were beautiful and intelligent. They present a truly beautiful face of religious life and the church in the U.S."
He said St. John Bosco, the founder of Cardinal Bertone's own religious order, the Salesians, and Father Michael J. McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus who has been proposed for sainthood, are excellent models for today's outreach to youths by the church.
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