Pope visit to U.S. in spring may help heal wounds

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict will make his first trip to the United States next spring in a visit that will likely try to heal some of the wounds caused by recent sexual abuse scandals.

The Pope will visit New York and several other cities in the East, Vatican sources said on Tuesday, adding that the itinerary was still being worked out.

The main purpose of the trip, expected for the second half of April or the start of May, will be to address the United Nations at the invitation of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Apart from New York, several other cities will be included. One likely but still unconfirmed stop is Washington and other possible stops include Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

News that the Pope would visit the United States spawned a number of invitations from dioceses, including some that want him to come for the 200th anniversary of their founding.

The trip will probably run for about five or six days.

While a visit to Boston has not been confirmed by that archdiocese, such a stop would be significant following the priestly sexual abuse scandal centred there which forced its archbishop, Cardinal Bernard Law, to resign in disgrace in 2002.

The state of American Catholicism in the wake of the scandal will likely be a major theme of the trip and offer an opportunity to heal lingering wounds.