Pope Visits Ground Zero and Mass at Yankee Stadium

NEW YORK (WCBS/AP)  -- Pope Benedict XVI's visit to ground zero Sunday to pray at the site where thousands were killed offered ``a little consolation'' to the father of a fallen Sept. 11 firefighter.

``It's important,'' said James Riches, a deputy fire chief whose son Jimmy died in the World Trace Center attacks in 2001 along with more than 2,700 others.

LISTEN: The Pope's Prayer at the World Trade Center Site  

Another son, Tom, who became a firefighter after his brother's death, was among those invited through a lottery to join the pontiff in the pit where the towers once stood. His father was invited to watch from the top of the site.

MORE: Pope Benedict XVI Visit Information

Benedict asked 24 people with ties to ground zero to join him at the Sunday morning service including survivors, victims' relatives and rescue workers.

PHOTOS: Pope Benedict XVI at WTC

After arriving at the site in the popemobile, the pontiff knelt in silent prayer for a few moments, then rose to light a memorial candle.

He prayed for peace, for the 9/11 victims who died in New York, Washington and in Shanksville, Pa., and for those sickened in the aftermath of the attacks.

Some victims' relatives had hoped the pope would specifically bless those killed at ground zero whose remains were never found. They also wanted him to pray for the removal and burial of any remains that may have been taken to the Fresh Kills garbage dump on Staten Island. But the pope's prayers weren't that specific.

``As a society we can't leave the victims in garbage,'' said Anthony Gardner, whose brother Harvey Joseph Gardner III was killed in the attacks. ``We view the earthly remains as sacred. These victims deserve a proper burial.''

Gardner is a member of World Trade Center Families for Proper Burial, a group who sued the city in 2005 over remains at Fresh Kills.

They contend that the city rushed the cleanup at ground zero and failed to deliver on a promise to sift debris taken to the dump to find body parts, remains and personal belongings.

More than 1,700 bone fragments have been recovered in the past two years in and around ground zero.

 Yankee Stadium Mass Schedule of Events

Noon        - The pre-Mass concert begins
2:15 p.m. - The Pope arrives
2:20 p.m. - The Pope travels around the track inside the stadium in the popemobile
2:30 p.m. - Mass begins
5:00 p.m. - Mass ends

The festive crowd of 25,000 burst into wild cheers when Benedict first acknowledged them from the stage. The shy theologian took time to reach out and shake hands with the ecstatic faithful in the front rows. The youngsters, meanwhile, sang ``Happy Birthday'' to the pope, who turned 81 on Wednesday, in his native German.

PHOTOS: From the Pope's Parade on 5th Avenue

During his speech at the rally, Benedict reflected on the repression of his own youth during the era of Nazi Germany. He urged the young people and seminarians to carry on the faith while enjoying the liberties that they are fortunate to have.

The pope will leave aboard his plane, Shepherd One, from New York's JFK airport tomorrow night.