Masses Arrive for Mass in Nationals Park

As the masses head for the papal Mass at Nationals Park in Washington (nicely described at Washingtonpost.com), I find myself still mulling over Pope Benedict XVI's remarks last night to the nation's Catholic bishops - in particular, in his responses to questions the bishops raised.

The pope dealt with the American  church's key problem, the quiet drift away of millions of Catholics who believe the essentials of the faith but gradually distance themselves from it. The pope found that part of the problem is in the culture, that there is little sense of the transcendent. But he also attributed the problem to a lack of creativity on the church's part - to worship services that fail to inspire, for example. He questioned the quality of preaching and whether Catholics are being taught properly to pray.

 I wonder if the bishop who asked the question expected such a critique; the question seemed to imply that the problem was with America's secularized culture, and not with the way the bishops are pursuing their mission.

So Pope Benedict has set out his critique. But what are his solutions? Is his answer to return to the past? We'll see what he has to say as he speaks to the faithful today in Washington.