Pope celebrates Mass at New York’s historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Using the architecture of St. Patrick’s Cathedral as a metaphor, Pope Benedict XVI today brought his message of spiritual renewal to thousands of deacons, priests and the religious.

Celebrating Mass in the church that in many ways is the historic soul of the Roman Catholic presence in the United States, Benedict tailored his message to the clergy, calling for humility and penance.

He contrasted the light within the cathedral to its dark Gothic architecture as a symbol of how spiritual renewal can help cope with the church’s and society’s problems.

The stately cathedral is perhaps the most famous church in the United States. Its cornerstone was placed on Aug. 15, 1858, when its Fifth Avenue location was closer to being a outpost than the heart of the city as it is today.

As he has throughout his first papal visit to the United States, Benedict in his homily stressed the need for healing within the Roman Catholic Church, still reeling from the clerical sexual abuse scandal.

“Here I simply wish to assure you, dear priests and religious, of my spiritual closeness as you strive to respond with Christian hope to the continuing challenges that this situation presents,” Benedict said.

“I join you in praying that this will be a time for healing. I also encourage you to cooperate with your bishops who continue to work effectively to resolve this issue. May our Lord Jesus Christ grant the church in America a renewed sense of unity and purpose, as all – bishops, clergy, religious and laity – move forward in hope, in love for the truth and for one another.”

He said the church must promote a culture of life, “for true life – our salvation – can only be found in the reconciliation, freedom and love which are God’s gracious gift.

“This is the message of hope we are called to proclaim and embody in a world where self-centeredness, greed, violence and cynicism so often seem to choke the fragile growth of grace in people’s hearts.”

Benedict was elected pope on April 19, 2005, and today he noted that anniversary as he praised the assembled clergy for answering the call “to devote your lives to building up the church.”

“How can you not think of the countless men and women who have come before us and left us a lasting legacy of faith and good work?” he said.

He praised St. Patrick’s, which he blessed with holy water when he entered, “as a house of prayer for all people. Each day, thousands of men, women and children enter its doors, and find peace within its walls.”

Then he went on to use the architecture to describe his vision of faith and renewal.

“I would like to draw attention to a few aspects of this beautiful structure which can serve as a starting point for our particular vocations,” he said, then mentioned the stained-glass windows, which from the outside appear “dark, heavy, even dreary.”

“But once one enters the church they suddenly come alive; reflecting the light passing through them, they reveal all of their splendor.”

“It is only from the inside from the experience of faith and ecclesial life that we can see the church as she truly is: flooded with grace, resplendent in beauty, adorned by the manifold gifts of the spirit. It follows that we, who live the life of grace within the Church’s communion are called to draw all people into this mystery of light. This is no easy task.”

The cathedral’s spires are “dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis, they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God.”

In spontaneous comments at the end of the Mass, the pope said he was, like St. Peter, a “man with flaws” who needs the prayers of his followers to conduct his daunting mission.

Benedict is in the fifth day of six-day visit to the United States. Throughout, he has spoken of the need to renew a Roman Catholic Church hit hard by the clerical sexual abuse scandal. He also stressed the power of religion to cope with the increasingly complex problems of society.

Crowds began gathering as early as 5 a.m. EDT today along the streets of midtown Manhattan. Security was especially tight as streets were cleared.

Traveling by limousine rather than the popemobile, the pontiff arrived this morning at about 9 a.m. He was greeted by Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York, and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

The party then moved inside the packed church, forming the processional and making its way to the altar past eager nuns who reached for his robes.

“Most Holy Father, welcome to St. Patrick’s Cathedral,” Cardinal Egan told the crowd, which burst into cheers. Clearly touched, Benedict rose and accepted the acclaim.

Later today, Benedict is expected to again stress the nobility of serving in the clergy when he visits St. Joseph Seminary in the suburb of Yonkers.

The Roman Catholic Church has been losing clerics for years. More than 3,200 of the 18,600 U.S. parishes don’t have resident priests, according to the Center for Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. More lay people than clergy work full-time in the churches.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has created a recruitment campaign called “Fishers of Men” that encourages priests to invite young men to consider entering the priesthood.

On Sunday, the final day of his trip, Benedict will visit ground zero, the site of the former World Trade Center, and hold a Mass at Yankee Stadium.

Tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

Michael.muskal@latimes.com

Wilkinson reported from New York and Muskal from Los Angeles.