Francis announces details of US visit Published: 20 January 2015 Back to Rome The Pope has revealed that his September trip to the US will take him to Philadelphia, New York and Washington but probably no other stops, reports the Catholic News Service. YTU - Enrollments 2015 (19 Jan) Pope Francis made his remarks yesterday in an hour-long news conference with reporters accompanying him back to Rome from a weeklong trip to Asia. Four days after announcing he would canonise the 18th-century Spanish Franciscan Blessed Junipero Serra in the US in September, the Pope said he wished he could do so in California, the friars mission field, but would not have time to travel there. The Pope said he planned instead to perform the canonisation ceremony at Washingtons National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, saying Washington would be a fitting location because a statue of Blessed Junipero stands in the US Capitol. The Pope also confirmed he would visit the United Nations in New York. He had already announced his participation in the late-September World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Asked about widespread speculation that he would visit the US-Mexico border on the same trip, Pope Francis said entering the United States by crossing the border from Mexico would be a beautiful thing, as a sign of brotherhood and of help to the immigrants. But he said making such a visit would raise expectations that he would visit Mexicos shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and he joked that war could break out if he failed to do so. There will be time to go to Mexico later on, he said. Catholic News Agency reported on a proposed schedule that US and UN church leaders have submitted to the Vatican. That schedule, which has not yet been approved, would have the Pope arriving in Washington the evening of September 22; visiting the White House and celebrating Mass at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on September 23; addressing a joint session of Congress on September 24 before travelling to New York City to address UN General Assembly on September 25. As previously announced, he would spend September 26 and 27 in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families. However, sources familiar with the trip planning have noted that plans submitted to the Vatican are not always approved, and Pope Francis comments about the canonisation of Blessed Junipero indicated not all plans are finalised. Photo: Francis gives a news conference on his flight back from Manila to Rome
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:54:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015