Vatican spokesman on papal trip to Mexico

A million people Saturday celebrated Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Mexican cities of Leon and Guanajuato. In a press briefing in Spanish in Mexico, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi spoke about various aspects of the papal visit. We offer a summary of some of the main points touched by Fr. Lomabardi:

The visit
After the Mass the Pope spent a private and a quiet morning and preparing to travel with his collaborators, the Pope was struck by happiness of children. The themes of the meeting with Mexican president Calderon are contained in a statement that was issued by the Presidency of the country. Among the topics in the 20 minute meeting, the need for education against violence. At the same time, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and the Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Mamberti, talked about the G20 with their ministerial partners from Mexico, and addressed the themes of migration and education.

Violence in Mexico
Father Lombardi said that, to combat violence, the Church advocates cultural, moral and conscientious education, with reference to social values and which are present in the Church's social doctrine. The education of young people, said Father Lombardi, is the recurring theme in all the meetings that the Pope has with world leaders or political leaders to overcome the problems of drugs, violence and lack of meaning in life.

Sex abuse
In response to one journalist’s query if it were not a contradiction that the Pope has met with victims of terrorism but not with victims of clerical sexual abuse, the Vatican spokesman said he did not have specific information about the meeting with victims of terrorism but would look into it properly.
Concerning meetings with the victims of paedophilia, Father Lombardi said that when these have taken place in other countries, "they had been requested by the bishops, special preparations were made within a process of dialogue and assistance in which the Church was involved" and noted there are other trips on which the Holy Father did not meet with victims of sex abuse.

Fr. Lombardi reiterated that meetings with victims of abuse must have adequate preparation and are included in a process of healing and reconciliation, in which the Church was actively involved and the country's bishops presented to the Pope some of these people who wanted to meet him in a very private, very reserved way to be able express their feelings privately with the Pope in a process of purification and personal healing.

Father Lombardi firmly rejected the accusation made in a recently published a book in Mexico - that Ratzinger, since 1998, was aware of the abuses committed by the late Fr. Marcial Macel. Fr. Lombardi said "It is unfair to talk about Pope Benedict XVI as one who has worked against truth and against transparency." "This also applies to John Paul II," he added saying the Pope was not aware of the double life or the dark side of Macel. "The two Popes," he concluded, "have always stood for truth and transparency on this issue." The condemnation of the Pope against paedophilia has been expressed many times very clearly. Those who follow the activities of the Pope and his teachings are well aware of this. There is a large number of documents on this subject, and directions for all the Episcopal Conferences of the Church in the world to follow.