Next week Pope Benedict makes his first papal visit to the United States. He won’t come wagging his finger at a country in moral decline, as some may expect. We’re told he will come with a gentle message, eager to share his church’s values of honesty and love of faith.

But the big question is how he will treat the country’s and the Church’s wounds. Will he address the sexual abuse crisis? Will he encourage a nation at war to make peace? Will he inspire a new generation to believe?

This hour, On Point: the meaning and message behind Pope Benedict’s upcoming tour.

-Jane Clayson

Guests:

David Van Biema, chief religion writer at Time magazine, he wrote the cover story “The American Pope” in the latest issue.

Father Richard Neuhaus, Catholic priest and editor-in-chief of First Things, a monthly journal of religion, culture and public life.

Scott Appleby, professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, and author of “The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence and Reconciliation.”

Tags: Catholicism, Pope Benedict, religion