As the Mass drew to a close, church officials said the next World Meeting of Families – the Vatican-sponsored festival that brought the pope to Philadelphia – will be held in Dublin in 2018.
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Francis flew into Philadelphia from New York, giving a sermon at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, where he singled out the “immense contribution” women have played in the Church.
In every city, Francis has been greeted by throngs of cheering, weeping well-wishers, hoping for a glance or a touch from the wildly popular spiritual leader.
There had been fears that visitors might be scared away by all the security, and, in fact, train ridership was lower than expected, some streets were eerily quiet, and a vendor of pope sunglasses cut his price from $15 to $10 for lack of business. “He has a magnetic personality that not only appeals to Catholics, but to the universal masses”. The Pope is on a six-day visit to the US, with stops in Washington DC, New York City and Philadelphia. At second spot is Beyonce who “makes people feel blessed simply by proximity”.
Before the Pope spoke, families from different countries shared with him and the audience the stories of their struggles, triumphs and values – emphasizing a central message: the strength of following their faith and sticking together.
One of Francis’ biggest applause lines during his homily at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on Friday came when he expressed his love and appreciation for nuns.
Pope Francis, who has emphasized humility and service over pomp and circumstance since being elected pope two years ago, will next travel to Philadelphia’s Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, where inmates made the hand-carved wooden chair he will use during the day’s closing Mass.
The pope is ending his first trip to the United States with a weekend in Philadelphia, where huge crowds – the kind where he becomes a dot on the altar before a sea of humanity – were expected, first at a concert and celebration Saturday night on Benjamin Franklin Parkway and a Mass on Sunday.
Quintero said it is immigrants who “move the economy” and she said new arrivals are also growing the Catholic Church. The trio spent time volunteering to bag food for Africa, among other activities at the family conference. “Clergy and bishops will be held accountable when they abuse or fail to protect children”.
The archdiocese has been the target of three grand jury investigations. “Hatred is not capable of dealing (with) or overcoming any difficulty”.
Meeting with 300 bishops, Francis said he had met with the sex abuse survivor group Sunday morning.
The visit also is shaping up as one of the most interesting ecclesial pairings of the pope’s trip.
In unscripted remarks on a separate subject, the pope also said globalization is good if it does not destroy the riches and distinctiveness of peoples.
Religious freedom means the right to worship God, “as our consciences dictate”, Francis said. “Of course we do talk about those issues”.
“Like a blessing before we go to bed, or a hug after we return from a hard day’s work. Because the right to life and religious liberty are foundational to human dignity”.
After emerging from Independence Hall to “Fanfare for the Common Man”, Pope Francis is giving a speech on religious freedom and immigration from the lectern used by President Abraham Lincoln when he delivered the Gettysburg Address.
They plan on keeping in touch. But Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, tweeted that they did not have their customary reserved seats up front and instead were “learning to live on the ‘periphery, ‘” a favorite term of Pope Francis.
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She wasn’t the only one who captured it on camera.
