NEW YORK — Admirers saw an unusually personal side of Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday when he ad-libbed a reference to his faults and sins and later spoke of the "sinister" Nazi regime that was the backdrop of his youth.
Both passages uttered by the pope were remarkable in their frankness and came as the German-born theologian observed the third anniversary of his election as pontiff.
On the penultimate day of his six-day pilgrimage to the U.S., Benedict presided over Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan and exhorted members of a depleted priesthood to overcome hurtful divisions and act "as beacons of light" in the service of the church. Later in the day he turned his attention to the next generation of church leaders, telling a huge youth rally of the "limitless expanse of the horizons of Christian discipleship."
The pope stepped into St. Patrick's, a cavernous Gothic landmark with dramatic spires and intricate stained-glass windows, and strode to the gilded altar amid thunderous applause and cheers from some 3,000 priests, deacons and nuns who crossed themselves at his presence and quickly snapped photographs.
"The spires of St. Patrick's Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline," the pope, wearing a gold-encrusted miter and robes, said in the homily, "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." It was the first time a pope has said Mass in what is arguably the nation's most renowned house of Roman Catholic worship.
At the end of the Mass, a visibly moved pope rose and delivered an impromptu message in halting English, describing himself as a "poor successor" to St. Peter who counts on the love and prayers of his followers to fulfill his daunting mission.
"I will do all possible to be a real successor to St. Peter, who also was a man with his faults and sins, but who remains finally the rock for the church," he said. "I can only thank you for your love of the church, for the love of our Lord and that you give also your love to the poor successor of St. Peter."
Benedict is known for having a humble touch, and Americans are seeing his personal side gradually revealed on this trip. Mostly what they have seen is the impressive pageantry that accompanies the world's most powerful religious figure -- regal ceremonies shown live on television with the gushing commentary of emotional broadcasters.
