Pope Benedict XVI to visit New York and Washington in April

Nov 12, 2007, 21:21 GMT

Pope Benedict XVI will make his first visit to the United States in April, with stops in New York and Washington and appearances planned at the White House and the United Nations. EPA/CLAUDIO ONORATI

Washington - Pope Benedict XVI will make his first visit to the United States in April, with stops in New York and Washington and appearances planned at the White House and the United Nations.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican's top diplomat to the United States, confirmed the April 15-20 visit at the start of an annual meeting of US bishops in Baltimore, Maryland on Monday.

'This is a blessed moment for our nation,' Bishop William Skylstad, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement. 'Pope Benedict is not just the leader of Catholics, he is also a man of inspiration for all those who work for peace.'

In New York, Pope Benedict plans to make an address at the United Nations, visit the site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and hold mass at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the Catholic News Service reported.

In Washington he will be welcomed at the White House by US President George W Bush, celebrate mass at a new baseball stadium to be opened shortly before his visit and speak before US bishops.

It is the first visit by Pope Benedict to the United States since his election as pope in 2005. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, visited the United States seven times during his more than 25-year pontificate.