US Catholics seek peace, healing, unity from Benedict XVI visit

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Orlando Grimaldi intoned a 'hallelujah' at a choir rehearsal in Washington with an angelicism that belied the tough-as-nails image conveyed by his goth T-shirt, slicked-back hair and baseball cap on backwards.

"The people here, some speak English, some, like me, speak Spanish, some French," he told AFP, highlighting the diversity of the United States' 70 million Catholics.

"But we all have one voice for the pope, and we hope he will bring a message of peace," he said in heavily accented English after a rehearsal of the four choirs that will sing in 12 languages at a mass led by Pope Benedict XVI before some 47,000 people in a Washington baseball stadium.

Benedict is due to arrive Tuesday in Washington at the start of a six-day visit to the...