10:38

In his homily, Pope Benedict touched on a number of themes pertaining to the Catholic Church in the United States, acknowledging the many contributions of its immigrant groups, the disturbing trends towards secularism, a "breakdown in the very foundations of society," and - once again - the awful damage wrought by incidents of clergy sexual abuse of children.

"I acknowledge the pain which the Church in America has experienced as a result of the sexual abuse," he said, reading from his prepared text. "No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse." He urged "loving pastoral attention" to those who have been abused, and called on all in attendance to "foster healing and reconciliation."

He went on to urge them "love your priests, and ... affirm them in the excellent work they do."

Earlier in his homily he declared that "the present moment is a crossroads, not only for the Church in America but also for society as a whole."  American youth especially need guidance "to discern the path that leads to true freedom: the path of a sincere and generous imitation of Christ." He called for the cultivating of a "genuinely Catholic" mindset among the young people of the church - a theme he is likely to reiterate this evening when he addresses the heads of the nation's Catholic educational institutions.