Pope Benedict to pray at Ground Zero, hold Mass in Yankee Stadium

Apr 20, 2008, 3:19 GMT

New York - Pope Benedict XVI will pray on Sunday at the site of the World Trade Center towers destroyed by the 2001 terrorist attacks as part of his pilgrimage of peace to the United States.

Later in the day he will conduct Mass in front of thousands at Yankee Stadium before concluding his historic six-day visit.

The early Sunday visit to Ground Zero marks another dramatic gesture by the 81-year-old pontiff, who had this week spoken strongly against child sexual abuse committed by some of the US clergy and called for purification and healing of the Catholic Church.

But in his visit to Ground Zero, Benedict will pray for the 3,000 people who died in the attacks when terrorist-hijacked commercial planes crashed into the two World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon in Washington and a field in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.

Benedict will pray for the dead and for the conversion of the killers, according to the text of the prayer made public by the Vatican last week, before his arrival in Washington on April 15.

'O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain,' the prayer says.

'We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here - We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those who, because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness. Heal, too, the pain of still grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.'

'Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred. God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events,' the prayer reads.

'Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here may not have been in vain. Comfort and console us. Strengthen us in hope, and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all.'

The Mass at Yankee Stadium will bring together worshippers from around the United States. The stadium seats more than 50,000 people.

Benedict earlier this week celebrated mass in Washington's Nationals Park and visited the White House before coming to New York to deliver a major speech to the United Nations General Assembly, where all 192 nations on Earth are represented.

He urged the world organization to retain its mission as a 'moral centre' of the world and to uphold human rights everywhere.

On Saturday, during a mass at St Patrick's Cathedral, Benedict renewed his appeal for ending child sexual abuse, which had stained and deeply hurt the Catholic Church.

Benedict spoke against that scourge at length during his stay in Washington, apologizing to the victims and for the first time meeting with a small group of them.

Everywhere he went, Benedict received a rousing welcome in Washington and New York, which is home to 5 million Catholics out of the estimated 80 million Catholics in the United States.

He made a first visit to the Park Synagogue on Friday and exchanged gifts with the chief Rabbi, Arthur Schneier, as the Jewish community was preparing itself the celebrate Passover.

The New York Daily News headlined Benedict's visit: 'Hugs all around as Pope embraces city.' The New York Times said the pope offered a 'worldwide message to humanity' when he addressed the UN.

About 20,000 student seminarians at the St Joseph Seminary greeted the pope late Saturday in Yonkers, north of New York City. They gave him perhaps the longest applause during the six-day visit as Benedict appealed to youths to become priests or nuns at a time that the vocation was declining in the Catholic Church.