Pope Benedict arrives in Washington for his first papal visit to the United
States after declaring himself "deeply ashamed" by a sexual abuse
scandal tarnishing the Roman Catholic Church's image here.

SHOWS: ANDREWS AIRFORCE BASE, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES (APRIL 15, 2008)
POOL --

US President George W. Bush greeted the pontiff on arrival at
Andrews Air Force Base outside the U.S. capital, on Tuesday (April 15).  It is
the first time he has gone to the airport to meet an incoming dignitary.
Neither made a public statement, but onlookers sang "Happy Birthday"
for Benedict, who turns 81 on Wednesday.
   On his flight from Rome, the pope vowed to keep pedophiles out of the
priesthood. The scandal of priests sexually abusing youths broke in 2002 and
has forced U.S. dioceses to pay over $2 billion in damages. Five have gone
bankrupt.
    The six-day visit includes a United Nations address, masses in baseball
stadiums and meetings with Catholic educators and leaders of other religions,
but the abuse scandal has shaken the Church so much that the German-born pope
addressed it even before landing.
    "We will absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred
ministry," Benedict told reporters on his flight across the Atlantic. The
Church will screen candidates for the priesthood, he said, "so that only
really sound persons can be admitted."
    "It is more important to have good priests than to have many
priests," Benedict said.
    Polls say three-quarters of U.S. Catholics approve of the pope, but
just as many say they disapprove of the defensive way the Church first
responded to the sexual abuse crisis.
    The pontiff said he would discuss the sensitive topic of immigration
with Bush, especially the way it split families and strained "the moral
and social fabric" of poor countries.
    "The United States has to help these countries develop," he
said during the flight, so their citizens do not feel they must leave.
"It is in the interest of everyone, not only these countries but of the
world and particularly of the United States."
    He also praised the role of faith in American public life as an example
for more secularized Europe.
    White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Bush and Benedict would
probably discuss "their shared values of human rights and the importance
of fighting extremism and also promoting religious tolerance" at the
White House on Wednesday.
    During his six-day trip, Benedict will also pray at Ground Zero, the
site in New York where the World Trade Center was destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001.

    A Washington Post-ABC news poll published on Tuesday showed almost
three-quarters of U.S. Catholics approve of Pope Benedict but most find the
Church out of touch with their views and criticize the way the sex abuse
scandal was handled.
    Half wanted the pope to stress traditional teachings and 45 percent
preferred policies that "reflect the attitudes and lifestyles of modern
Catholics."
    Most Americans view the pontiff favorably, but he is not as popular as
his immediate predecessor, John Paul II, a poll by the Pew Forum on Religion
& Public Life showed.
    Benedict said the sexual abuse scandal caused "great
suffering" to the Church in the United States and also "for me
personally."
    "It's difficult for me to understand how it was possible that
priests betrayed in this way their mission to give healing, to give the love
of God to these children," he said.                          
    The pope, who marks the third anniversary of his election during the
trip, has said he hopes the visit will lead to a spiritual renewal in America.
His U.N. address on Friday will aim to highlight the need for greater peace
and justice around the world.
    In New York, Benedict will also make a brief stop at a synagogue to
wish the Jewish community a happy Passover.