Page 13 - Holyland Magazing - Catholic Edition 2016

hard work too ... bathed in the excitement of
hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. Pope
Francis participated with leaders of Christian,
Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and
other faiths at the 9/11 Memorial, solemnly
commemorating the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001.
He followed that with a speech to delegates
of all peoples of the world at the United
Nations, covering some of the themes he’d
described to the U.S. Congress, including
respect for the dignity of human persons,
concrete action on climate change, a more
just economic system, controls on gun sales
and elimination of nuclear weapons.
New Yorkers from every walk of life filled the
fields and hills of Central Park to raucously
cheer Pope Francis as he rode along the
park’s small lanes in the shadow of the city’s
skyscrapers. Later that night, he celebrated a
lively Mass for 20,000 in New York’s storied
arena for sports and concerts, Madison
Square Garden, which included inspired
performances by singers Gloria Estefan,
Jennifer Hudson and Harry Connick Jr.
At the Mass, the pope urged the congregation
to go out into the city, to seek the face of
Jesus in the poor and suffering, and to share
the joy of the Gospel with all. People today
should take heed of Jesus’ direction for his
disciples, “to go out and meet others where
they really are, not where we think they should
be,” Pope Francis said.
But the pope would also travel to a humbler
setting in East Harlem, greeting Catholic
schoolchildren and listening to them, as he
held their hands, describe their class projects. Saturday morning, September 26. He greeted
The pontiff not only encouraged the young
students, their families and their teachers, he
gave a homework assignment.
“Please don’t forget to pray for me,” he asked
the children, “so that I can share with many
people the joy of Jesus. And let us also pray
so that many other people can share the joy
like yours.” ***
As the birthplace of liberty in America -- where Nevertheless, his visit to Philadelphia had the
the Declaration of Independence was written,
where the Constitution of the United States
was signed, where its first federal government
was seated - Philadelphia embodies the living
history of the country. But it is more than
yellowed documents and Colonial-era re-
enactments. Philadelphia remains a leading
cultural attraction in the United States. It
also remains was it has always been: a city
of close-knit neighborhoods marked with the
signs of a rich, pluralistic religious faith.
All of the city’s brightest cultural assets and
the warmth of its people welcomed Pope
Francis on the final leg of his apostolic visit
to America for two days last September.
Planning for that visit had begun even before
Francis was elected pontiff. His predecessor
Pope Benedict XVI had in 2012 called for
Philadelphia as the site of the Eighth World
Meeting of Families, a gathering that occurs
every three years in a different city. After
Benedict resigned the papacy in 2013, Francis
was elected and became one of the most
popular figures on the world stage, thanks
to his humility, his new way of presenting the
Christian Gospel and his ideas for institutional
reform. He would bring that humble approach
and accompanying star power to Philadelphia
to conclude the World Meeting of Families in
September.
The meeting to discuss ways to strengthen
family life gathered more than 20,000
delegates from over 100 countries for four
days of meetings and activities the very
same week Pope Francis was visiting Cuba,
Washington and New York City. Excitement
had been growing to fever pitch all week
among the delegates, plus hundreds of
thousands more people streaming in from
around the world joining residents of the
region, all anticipating the wholesome carnival
atmosphere of papal events that weekend.
Philadelphia’s name derives from the Greek,
meaning “City of Brotherly Love,” and Pope
Francis lived up to the moniker himself as
soon as he arrived at Philadelphia’s airport
a family of five on the tarmac then stopped
to bless a sick boy, before moving on to the
heart of the city for a morning Mass at the
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
Even though the people’s roar of acclaim rose
up whenever the pope’s motorcade passed,
the Mass at the cathedral was an elegant,
sublime and emotional liturgy, celebrating the
artistic and religious culture of Philadelphia.
By that point in the week-long overseas
journey and its many public appearances, the
78-year-old Pope Francis had begun to look
by turns prayerfully solemn, or just plain tired. God’s signs of love and grace in the world,
character of scenes from the other cities:
spiritual messages of solace, challenges to
build a better society, joyful emotions, and
among all present, deep expressions of faith.
Later in the day the pope encouraged
Catholic-Jewish dialogue at a Catholic
university, and made a major speech at the
historic Independence Hall before some
40,000 people to support welcoming
immigrants into the United States.
From the solemn Mass to the thought-
provoking speech, attention turned at night
to Philadelphia’s centerpiece boulevard, the
museum-studded Benjamin Franklin Parkway,
for the Festival of Families celebration of music
and dance enjoyed by tens of thousands of
families and their children long into the night.
The next morning, September 27, the pope
met with victims of clergy sexual abuse,
and after told a group of American bishops
to become closer to families and the real
problems they face. Getting close up to
people in difficult circumstances was on his
own agenda as he visited a city prison to give
hope and encouragement to about 100 men
and women incarcerated there. He spoke to
them as a group from a chair the prisoners
had handmade for his visit, then he greeted
and spoke to each one, embracing many.
After all the excitement of the preceding days,
the papal visit came to a close with a public
Mass on the parkway, attended by what most
estimates pegged at around 300,000 people.
As they sat or stood below the leafy sycamore
trees lining the parkway, they formed a two-
mile long, open-air cathedral. Yet despite the
noise and commotion of so many people
moving through the area, an extraordinary
serenity settled on the crowd as the Sunday
afternoon Mass began.
Francis seemed to reflect the sacred
atmosphere of prayer, his face solemn not
weary as on Saturday when he arrived in
the city or beaming at times during the lively
Festival of Families the night before. The
reverential silence - an absence of sound
thanks in part to total restrictions on auto
traffic and aircraft in the area - and the sight
of so many people quietly praying was a
profound experience for many in attendance.
After he delivered a message hoping the little
acts of kindnesses that family members show
one another would be seen by everyone as
Pope Francis concluded the final event of his
memorable visit to America with words that
had become familiar. “Please pray for me,” he
asked the crowd. “Don’t forget, pray for me.”
Judging by the sustained applause of the
faithful, he could rest assured of such prayers.
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