The 4 Big Things the Pope Will Do in NYC Today

It's quite the list: Central Park, the UN, ground zero, Madison Square Garden
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 25, 2015 6:54 AM CDT
The 4 Big Things the Pope Will Do in NYC Today
Pope Francis waves to gathered worshippers as he leaves St. Patrick's Cathedral after conducting an evening prayer service yesterday in New York.   (Anthony Behar/Sipa Press via AP, Pool)

Pope Francis gets little rest today as he continues his US visit with high-profile events in New York City, including a stop at Ground Zero and a speech at the UN. The four big highlights:

  • Ground Zero: Francis will lead a prayer service at the site with leaders from the Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, and Christian faiths, reports Vatican Radio. He'll also meet with victims' families. The pope's visit is "even more important for Muslims than it is for Catholics," an imam tells Religion News Service.
  • UN speech: The pope's main diplomatic chore will be a speech to the UN in which he could be even more forceful in tone about the plight of the world's immigrants and issues such as poverty and the arms trade, reports CNN. This time, he'll speak in his native Spanish.

  • Central Park: The popemobile will take a spin through Central Park, and only those who won tickets in a lottery (or paid through the nose to scalpers, notes Forbes) will be able to witness it in person. An 8-foot fence put up for security isn't sitting well with all New Yorkers, reports the New York Times.
  • Arena Mass: Francis will celebrate Mass tonight in Madison Square Garden, which can hold about 20,000 people. The pontiff's appearance required Billy Joel to bump a show to tomorrow night, which he happily did, reports NBC News.
(More Pope Francis stories.)

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