Papal visits across the years

By: KLKN Newsroom

8@klkntv.com

The Pope’s historic visit to the States continues. We have two reporters at our sister station, WLNE, John DeLuca and Mike LaCrosse who are following his travels. They will be speaking to a group of people from Lincoln who traveled to see the Pope in Philadelphia. Be sure to tune into each of our newscasts to hear their stories.

“Pope mania” is in full effect in NYC, drawing huge crowds everywhere he went today.

Pope Francis started at the United Nations, then he went over to the 9/11 memorial for an interfaith service. After that he visited a Catholic Elementary school in East Harlem, and Central Park. He wrapped up his visit in NYC with a Mass for 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden.

Pope Francis is the fourth Pope to visit the United States, and his journey marks the tenth time a Pope has stepped on U.S. soil. Pope John Paul VI was the first to make the trip to the U.S. in 1965.

"He had the big mass in Yankee Stadium and then he spoke to the United Nations in that was a very big deal,” Providence College Theology Professor Father John Vidmar said.

Pope John Paul II made seven visits during his papacy. Pope Benedict was the last Pope to visit in 2008. He said Mass for about 60,000 people at Yankee Stadium.

“It’s great for public relations. Expensive, but worth it. The visits of the past Popes have been very similar since that there is a feeling of we kind of belong to a bigger church," Vidmar said.

The papal visits are also a way for Catholics to have a personal connection with the leader of their church.

Tomorrow morning, the Pope arrives in Philadelphia. During his time there, he will have Mass, give a speech at Independence Hall, and wrap it up with a prayer vigil at Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

One million people are expected to be there.