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Pope brings message of brotherly love to Philadelphia
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Speaking at Philadelphia's Independence Hall, Pope Francis thanked Americans for opening the door to immigrants and reminded immigrants to take pride in their roots.
Pope Francis bends over to kiss a small child at Independence Mall in Philadelphia on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015.(Photo: Pool, Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA — The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics brought his message of religious freedom and compassionate immigration to historic Independence Hall on Saturday, speaking in his native Spanish to a wildly receptive audience.
More than 40,000 people gathered to hear Pope Francis speak at the site where colonists declared their freedom from British rule.
"Society is weakened wherever and whenever injustice prevails," he told the crowd to applause. He said recent immigrants to the U.S. should not be discouraged by the challenges they face.
"I ask you not to forget that like those who came before you, you bring many gifts to this great nation," he said. The pope concluded by leading the crowd, in English, in the Lord's Prayer.
"God bless you all," he said before stepping away from the podium.
Minutes before Francis spoke, he paused multiple times to bless several babies along Market Street. The crowd, which had gathered hours before the speech, was enthusiastic all day.
Francis also blessed a "cruz de los encuentros," a 5-foot-tall cross symbolizing the journey of faith of Latino Catholics. He spoke from the same lectern that was used by Abraham Lincoln to deliver the Gettysburg Address.
Omar Navarro, 34, from Clifton, N.J., was excited to get a glimpse of the pope. Navarro said the pontiff's message sharply contrasts with much of the rhetoric coming from Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.
"The pope with not too many words will touch so many people," said Navarro, who is Mexican. "Donald Trump was trying to divide immigrants from the rest of the community, but the pope is going to put them together."
"I'm hopeful that people will listen to Pope Francis and hear what he has to say about the dignity of people, immigrant or not, and reflect on that," said Josefa Lopez, 63, an Argentinean immigrant who lives in West Orange, N.J. "I think his words can change minds."
Earlier Saturday, Francis arrived at Philadelphia International Airport to musical selections ranging from Ode to Joy to the theme from the movie Rocky. Then, after some warm smiles, kisses and handshakes, his modest Fiat was off into a city anxiously anticipating his arrival.
For many, the blockades and heavy police presence that locked down parts of the city were not a concern. Terri Desensi of Louisville, and her sister Pat Malouf of Greenwood, Miss., came with other church members, snatching a spot along the parade route seven hours ahead of the parade.
"I loved him since the day he was elected pope," Malouf said. "I wanted to come and show my appreciation."
Kammas Murphy, who teaches at a Catholic school in nearby Wilmington, Del., had a pope almost-sighting early Saturday. She was about a block away from a Mass the pope celebrated Saturday and watched the police cars and vans that escorted Francis
“We couldn’t see him walk in, but the energy was there,” the 25-year-old Wilmington native said. “It was lively.”
The Mass was at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, where he celebrated for a crowd of 1,600, most of them clergy.
The 150-year-old masterpiece of a church sits on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which cuts a swath through the city's cultural center and is home to World Meeting of Families events taking place all weekend.
The masons who built the church placed windows only in the basilica's uppermost story to protect worshipers from the anti-Catholic sentiment of the time. Francis invoked the basilica's history of "high walls and windows" as he urged church leaders in the United States to devote more energy to reaching out to young people and those on the periphery of society.
In a nod to Pennsylvania's homegrown saint, St. Katharine Drexel, Francis recounted Pope Leo's words to her when she complained of the needs of the missions. Leo, whom the pontiff called "a very wise pope," asked Drexel pointedly, "What about you? What are you going to do?"
"Those words changed Katharine's life, because they reminded her that, in the end, every Christian man and woman, by virtue of baptism, has received a mission," Francis said. "Each one of us has to respond, as best we can, to the lord's call to build up his body, the church."
Outside the basilica, Susan Suzi, from Hershey, Pa., and Carmen and Ann Marie Zullo of New Jersey spent three hours on their feet, hoping to see the pope. The group stayed positive, even when their vantage point failed to yield a view when Francis left the church.
The trio arrived in Philadelphia on Monday to attend the eighth World Meeting of Families, a gathering that brings together 20,000 Catholics for a week of events.
"The excitement is palpable," Zullo said. "We're part of something special here."
The pope's two-day visit wraps up a six-day trip to the U.S. that has lured millions of exhilarated fans and plenty of the curious to line streets and pack venues for a glimpse of the charming, humble leader. He visited President Obama at the White House and gave a speech to Congress, spoke at the United Nations and said Mass at New York's Madison Square Garden, then headed here to speak to and pray with the families.
The 78-year-old Francis, who suffers from sciatica and a bad knee, has been walking with difficulty on his grueling trip that began with a four-day visit to Cuba. He has appeared to struggle on stairs, especially those on his chartered flights between cities. Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the pope's physical troubles are not due to the grind of the most lengthy trip of his papacy.
"This is normal, this is something that he brings with him from his previous life," Lombardi said. "This is all understandable for a man of his age."
Lombardi said that Francis is buoyed by his contact with the faithful. The pope was greeted at the Philadelphia airport by a small but adoring crowd, plus church and political leaders. The special guests included a family of a city police officer who survived a shooting rampage that killed his partner.
Richard Bowes said he was stunned when he learned the family was chosen.
"Who thinks you are going to meet the pope, that you are going to be close enough to touch him?" Bowes said. "It's unbelievable."
The city was awash in barricades, law enforcement officers and smiling volunteers. Much of the downtown area was closed to traffic, and any cars left behind were towed away.
The pope's day concluded with a "Festival of Families" event on the parkway, a broad boulevard expanse that runs from City Hall to the Art Museum and was fashioned, by Franklin himself, in the tradition of the iconic Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris. The event was hosted by actor Mark Wahlberg and featured musical performances by Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli and others, as well as a parade of testimonials about the importance of family. Francis addressed the crowd, saying in Spanish, saying, "Let us look after family, let us protect the family, because it's in the family that our future is at play."
On Sunday, Francis will meet with bishops at a local seminary, then visit with a group of inmates at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. The main event of the day, and perhaps the entire trip, will be a late afternoon Mass on the parkway expected to draw 1 million people.
At the conclusion of Saturday's families event, Francis stood at a podium and told an adoring crowd, “We’ll see each other at mass tomorrow." Then he turned to aides and asked, "What time is mass?”
The crowd laughed as an aide told him, "Four o’clock."
Pope Francis speaks during the Festival of Families, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, in Philadelphia. AFP PHOTO / Pool / Eric Thayer (Photo: ERIC THAYER, AFP/Getty Images)
Not all the events here are church-sanctioned. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics were holding gatherings, one of which champions gay parents and their children. Francis has pleaded for compassion in the case of same-sex marriage and other family issues, but for many the church has not moved far enough.
Still, his themes of compassion, forgiveness and hope have resonated across a wide range of Catholics, lapsed Catholics, many who practice other faiths and those with no religious convictions at all.
Father James Bretzky, a theology professor at Boston College, said that bishops, who Francis calls the voice of the church, are getting the message, particularly after a speech Wednesday where the pope stressed that "harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor."
"It's a hard course change though for many of them," Bretzky said. "If the bishops hadn't gotten the message before the meeting in D.C., they certainly can no longer deny that they've not heard the pope asking them to take a different tack."
Contributing: Rem Rieder, USA TODAY; Meghan Montemurro and Brittany Horn, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal
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Pope Francis says the future of the church depends on an increased role for the laity, and valuing the "immense contribution" of women. (Sept. 26) AP
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Pope brings message of brotherly love to Philadelphia
UP NEXT
03
Speaking at Philadelphia's Independence Hall, Pope Francis thanked Americans for opening the door to immigrants and reminded immigrants to take pride in their roots.
Pope Francis bends over to kiss a small child at Independence Mall in Philadelphia on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015.(Photo: Pool, Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA — The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics brought his message of religious freedom and compassionate immigration to historic Independence Hall on Saturday, speaking in his native Spanish to a wildly receptive audience.
More than 40,000 people gathered to hear Pope Francis speak at the site where colonists declared their freedom from British rule.
"Society is weakened wherever and whenever injustice prevails," he told the crowd to applause. He said recent immigrants to the U.S. should not be discouraged by the challenges they face.
"I ask you not to forget that like those who came before you, you bring many gifts to this great nation," he said. The pope concluded by leading the crowd, in English, in the Lord's Prayer.
"God bless you all," he said before stepping away from the podium.
Minutes before Francis spoke, he paused multiple times to bless several babies along Market Street. The crowd, which had gathered hours before the speech, was enthusiastic all day.
Francis also blessed a "cruz de los encuentros," a 5-foot-tall cross symbolizing the journey of faith of Latino Catholics. He spoke from the same lectern that was used by Abraham Lincoln to deliver the Gettysburg Address.
Omar Navarro, 34, from Clifton, N.J., was excited to get a glimpse of the pope. Navarro said the pontiff's message sharply contrasts with much of the rhetoric coming from Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.
"The pope with not too many words will touch so many people," said Navarro, who is Mexican. "Donald Trump was trying to divide immigrants from the rest of the community, but the pope is going to put them together."
"I'm hopeful that people will listen to Pope Francis and hear what he has to say about the dignity of people, immigrant or not, and reflect on that," said Josefa Lopez, 63, an Argentinean immigrant who lives in West Orange, N.J. "I think his words can change minds."
Earlier Saturday, Francis arrived at Philadelphia International Airport to musical selections ranging from Ode to Joy to the theme from the movie Rocky. Then, after some warm smiles, kisses and handshakes, his modest Fiat was off into a city anxiously anticipating his arrival.
For many, the blockades and heavy police presence that locked down parts of the city were not a concern. Terri Desensi of Louisville, and her sister Pat Malouf of Greenwood, Miss., came with other church members, snatching a spot along the parade route seven hours ahead of the parade.
"I loved him since the day he was elected pope," Malouf said. "I wanted to come and show my appreciation."
Kammas Murphy, who teaches at a Catholic school in nearby Wilmington, Del., had a pope almost-sighting early Saturday. She was about a block away from a Mass the pope celebrated Saturday and watched the police cars and vans that escorted Francis
“We couldn’t see him walk in, but the energy was there,” the 25-year-old Wilmington native said. “It was lively.”
The Mass was at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, where he celebrated for a crowd of 1,600, most of them clergy.
The 150-year-old masterpiece of a church sits on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which cuts a swath through the city's cultural center and is home to World Meeting of Families events taking place all weekend.
The masons who built the church placed windows only in the basilica's uppermost story to protect worshipers from the anti-Catholic sentiment of the time. Francis invoked the basilica's history of "high walls and windows" as he urged church leaders in the United States to devote more energy to reaching out to young people and those on the periphery of society.
In a nod to Pennsylvania's homegrown saint, St. Katharine Drexel, Francis recounted Pope Leo's words to her when she complained of the needs of the missions. Leo, whom the pontiff called "a very wise pope," asked Drexel pointedly, "What about you? What are you going to do?"
"Those words changed Katharine's life, because they reminded her that, in the end, every Christian man and woman, by virtue of baptism, has received a mission," Francis said. "Each one of us has to respond, as best we can, to the lord's call to build up his body, the church."
Outside the basilica, Susan Suzi, from Hershey, Pa., and Carmen and Ann Marie Zullo of New Jersey spent three hours on their feet, hoping to see the pope. The group stayed positive, even when their vantage point failed to yield a view when Francis left the church.
The trio arrived in Philadelphia on Monday to attend the eighth World Meeting of Families, a gathering that brings together 20,000 Catholics for a week of events.
"The excitement is palpable," Zullo said. "We're part of something special here."
The pope's two-day visit wraps up a six-day trip to the U.S. that has lured millions of exhilarated fans and plenty of the curious to line streets and pack venues for a glimpse of the charming, humble leader. He visited President Obama at the White House and gave a speech to Congress, spoke at the United Nations and said Mass at New York's Madison Square Garden, then headed here to speak to and pray with the families.
The 78-year-old Francis, who suffers from sciatica and a bad knee, has been walking with difficulty on his grueling trip that began with a four-day visit to Cuba. He has appeared to struggle on stairs, especially those on his chartered flights between cities. Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the pope's physical troubles are not due to the grind of the most lengthy trip of his papacy.
"This is normal, this is something that he brings with him from his previous life," Lombardi said. "This is all understandable for a man of his age."
Lombardi said that Francis is buoyed by his contact with the faithful. The pope was greeted at the Philadelphia airport by a small but adoring crowd, plus church and political leaders. The special guests included a family of a city police officer who survived a shooting rampage that killed his partner.
Richard Bowes said he was stunned when he learned the family was chosen.
"Who thinks you are going to meet the pope, that you are going to be close enough to touch him?" Bowes said. "It's unbelievable."
The city was awash in barricades, law enforcement officers and smiling volunteers. Much of the downtown area was closed to traffic, and any cars left behind were towed away.
The pope's day concluded with a "Festival of Families" event on the parkway, a broad boulevard expanse that runs from City Hall to the Art Museum and was fashioned, by Franklin himself, in the tradition of the iconic Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris. The event was hosted by actor Mark Wahlberg and featured musical performances by Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli and others, as well as a parade of testimonials about the importance of family. Francis addressed the crowd, saying in Spanish, saying, "Let us look after family, let us protect the family, because it's in the family that our future is at play."
On Sunday, Francis will meet with bishops at a local seminary, then visit with a group of inmates at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. The main event of the day, and perhaps the entire trip, will be a late afternoon Mass on the parkway expected to draw 1 million people.
At the conclusion of Saturday's families event, Francis stood at a podium and told an adoring crowd, “We’ll see each other at mass tomorrow." Then he turned to aides and asked, "What time is mass?”
The crowd laughed as an aide told him, "Four o’clock."
Pope Francis speaks during the Festival of Families, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, in Philadelphia. AFP PHOTO / Pool / Eric Thayer (Photo: ERIC THAYER, AFP/Getty Images)
Not all the events here are church-sanctioned. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics were holding gatherings, one of which champions gay parents and their children. Francis has pleaded for compassion in the case of same-sex marriage and other family issues, but for many the church has not moved far enough.
Still, his themes of compassion, forgiveness and hope have resonated across a wide range of Catholics, lapsed Catholics, many who practice other faiths and those with no religious convictions at all.
Father James Bretzky, a theology professor at Boston College, said that bishops, who Francis calls the voice of the church, are getting the message, particularly after a speech Wednesday where the pope stressed that "harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor."
"It's a hard course change though for many of them," Bretzky said. "If the bishops hadn't gotten the message before the meeting in D.C., they certainly can no longer deny that they've not heard the pope asking them to take a different tack."
Contributing: Rem Rieder, USA TODAY; Meghan Montemurro and Brittany Horn, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal
UP NEXT
03
Pope Francis says the future of the church depends on an increased role for the laity, and valuing the "immense contribution" of women. (Sept. 26) AP
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1FoPNFj
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