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Pope Francis: I'm Coming To NYC This September!
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 19, 2015
Modified Jan 19, 2015
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 19, 2015
Modified Jan 19, 2015
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Pope Francis has New York City plans on his September visit agenda, the Catholic News Agency is reporting. Update: He confirmed the Big Apple as a stop today.
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the U.N. in New York and a member of the committee organizing the pontiff's U.S. visit, told CNA that after first visiting Washington D.C., Pope Francis would go to New York on September 24th for the U.N. General Assembly, "Practically all of the heads of states and governments will be around and they will all be there on that day, so if the Pope were to finalize this visit to the U.S. that means that he would address all the heads of states and of governments, who will be sitting with their official delegations."
The papal address at the U.N. would take up the entire morning of Sept. 25, Archbishop Auza said. He added that proposals for what the pontiff may do afterward include an interreligious meeting, and “of course the Pope will visit St. Patrick’s (Cathedral). That’s for sure.”
The visit to the historic church wouldn’t likely mean the celebration of Mass there, the archbishop said. Mass has been proposed instead for another area of New York. He named the Madison Square Garden as a possibility.
“Our plan is not to have a huge Mass outside of Philadelphia, because the focus will really be Philadelphia, because the Pope is going to the United States for the World Meeting of Families,” he explained.
Perhaps the most “unique ingredient” of Pope Francis’ proposed schedule for New York would be an interethnic meeting with the pontiff, which is significant given the diverse ethnic background of the city.
“Ground Zero,” the site of the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, which brought down New York City’s twin World Trade Center towers, is another foreseeable stop on the Pope’s itinerary, Archbishop Auza noted.
Then the pope would go to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families, which is September 26 and 27.
Archdiocese of New York spokesman Joseph Zwilling cautioned that a New York stop hasn't been confirmed yet, but admitted, "You can't go to anything connected to the Archdiocese without people asking if Pope Francis is coming." He believes that "a visit by Pope Francis is going to easily surpass" both John Paul II's 1995 visit and Benedict's 2008 visit.
Both Mayor de Blasio and Cardinal Timothy Dolan have been praying for the pope to visit. Get our Global Ambassador to NYC on this!
Update: Pope Francis "told reporters he wishes he could enter the U.S. through the Mexican border 'as a sign of brotherhood and of help to the immigrants,' but will probably just fly directly to the East Coast."
"You know that [to] go to Mexico without going to visit the Madonna [of Guadalupe] would be a drama. A war could break out," he said, laughing. "I think there will only be those three cities. Later there will be time to go to Mexico."
Mayor de Blasio said, "New York City will be excited and delighted to host Pope Francis during his visit to the United States this September. I was proud to extend an invitation for His Holiness to visit New York when I met with Cardinal Parolin during our visit to the Vatican last year, and the Pope should know New York will welcome him with open arms. Pope Francis is the leading global voice on issues of social justice and income inequality, and New Yorkers from all backgrounds will be tremendously humbled and honored to hear his message right here in our city later this year."
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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