Pope Benedict XVI may visit Baltimore as part of his spring tour of the U.S., but local Catholic officials say they know nothing for certain.
“It?s news to me,” Baltimore Archdiocesan spokesperson Sean Caine said of swirling speculation ? stoked by a recent report on a Vatican-watching blog ? that Benedict may visit the seat of American Catholicism in 2008.
Confirming already announced Vatican plans for a 2008 papal visit to New York to address the United Nations at the invitation of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Caine told theExaminer today that the U.S. visit likely is timed to avoid interference with the nation?s 2008 presidential elections.
“Several months ago the Vatican said that the pope would be coming to New York in the spring to visit the U.N,” Caine added. “Other than that, the Vatican hasn?t said anything. The only thing new is that some Catholic blog came out on Monday speculating that when [the pope] comes to New York, he would [visit other cities] ? and a wire service picked that up.”
The blog, called “Whispers in the Loggia,” posted a report on Monday by a reporter for the international Catholic weekly, “The Tablet,” pegging the pope?s visit for late April-early May and claiming that “several other cities in the East” were on an itinerary that would extend for five or six days.
Boston was cited as a likely stopover, given that archdiocese?s recent troubles with clerical sex abuse and the new ordinary?s perceived success in handling the matter. Baltimore, however, would be another likely destination, given its status as the first Catholic diocese in the United States.
“Once the itinerary is set as to what else [the pope] might do, they?ll let us know,” Caine said. “But he may very well come over; go to the U.N. and turn around and go back. So we just have to wait at this point. Once we have word if and when he is to come, we can certainly send something out. But we know nothing at this point.”
A United Nations spokesperson, however, was less certain about any papal visit.
“I?ve heard talk that the pope would be coming to America,” said U.N. information assistant Jane Gaffney, “but I don?t believe that there?s any firm word on when that might be or what his program might be.”
Gaffney later confirmed that the secretary-general had invited the pope to address the U.N., and that the pope had said yes, with the Vatican issuing an announcement on Monday.
