VOA常速英语2008年-Pope Ends US Visit With Mass at Yankee Stadium

By Barbara Schoetzau
New York
20 April 2008

Pope Benedict XVI ended his six-day visit to the United States with a jubilant mass at the 57,000-seat Yankee Stadium. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau reports the leader of the world's one billion Catholics praised the United States' tradition of religious freedom at the service.

On his arrival, the pontiff circled the packed stadium in his popemobile. The crowds waved handkerchiefs of white and yellow, the Vatican colors, and roared their approval with the sort of noisy enthusiasm that is usually reserved for rock concerts.

During his homily, Pope Benedict addressed the issue of unity¹, which has been a theme of his visit. He also celebrated² the bicentennial of Catholic dioceses in Baltimore, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Louisville, Kentucky and the tradition of religious freedom in the United States, which, he said, allowed successive waves of immigrants to build networks of strong churches and institutions.

"In this land of religious liberty, Catholics found freedom not only to practice their faith but also to participate fully³ in civic⁴ life, bringing the deepest moral convictions to the public square and cooperating with their neighbors in shaping a vibrant⁵, democratic society," said Pope Benedict XVI.

The pontiff also delivered comments in Spanish, recognizing a growing Catholic population in the United States.

More than 550 priests were on hand to distribute communion to the participants.

Just before the mass began hundreds of doves were released at the end of a two-hour Concert of Hope that enlisted⁶ the participation⁷ of such major entertainment figures as tenor⁸ Ronan Tynan, Jose Feliciano, opera star Marcello Giord and Harry⁹ Connick Junior.

Many political figures were also in attendance, including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He said that Benedict's visit raised his profile, especially his willingness to address tough issues such as the sexual abuse scandal that has wracked the American Catholic Church in recent years.

"He is somebody who nobody knew a lot about before and I think his speeches have really gone a long way towards endearing himself to New Yorkers and Americans," said Michael Bloomberg. "He did not walk away from some bad things from the past. He addressed them, he pointed¹⁰ them out and he said we have to fix them, make sure it does not happen again, carry forward."

The mass marked the third - and last - time that a Pope has led religious services at the legendary¹¹ Yankee Stadium. The stadium is being replaced at the end of the 2008 baseball season with a new facility.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

5 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

6 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

8 tenor   

n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意

参考例句：

• The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
• The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。

9 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。