Here's how I understand your requirements:
- OS X
- No CPAN
- Parses XML
This makes Perl a very bad idea since you will have to write your own XML parser from scratch and, nothing personal, but that sounds seriously ugly.
You say that you would "like" to use perl but that it isn't a requirement. My advice is to use Java 1.4 as it has the javax.xmlpackage as a part of its core. Yes, it isn't yet available for the Mac, but you can still do the coding on an available 1.4 platform and use it on your Mac machines when that version of the JDK is ported.
Perl without CPAN is like fries without _________ (insert favorite condiment here).
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()-() ()-()
\"/ DON'T BLAME ME, I VOTED FOR PACO! \"/
` `
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