Pope In Philadelphia For Final Stop On U.S. Trip

Pope Francis arrived in the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday for the final leg of his U.S. visit

Saturday, September 26th 2015, 11:25 am

By: News On 6


Pope Francis arrived in the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday for the final leg of his U.S. visit - a festive weekend devoted to celebrating Catholic families.

The pontiff's plane touched down at the Philadelphia airport after takeoff from New York, bringing him to a city of blocked-off streets, sidewalks lined with portable potties, and checkpoints manned by police, National Guardsmen and border agents.

After speeches to Congress and the United Nations earlier this week aimed at spurring world leaders toward bold action on immigration and the environment, he is expected to focus more heavily on ordinary Catholics during his two days in Philadelphia.
On Friday night in New York, about 20,000 of the faithful packed into Madison Square Garden to witness the pope's message about faith in the city, CBS News correspondent Chip Reid reports."The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light," the pope said during his homily, "and we ourselves are witnesses of that light."

From Philadelphia's airport Saturday, Francis rode by motorcade to the downtown Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul to celebrate a Mass for about 1,600 people, twice turning around to wave to the hundreds of cheering people standing outside the church.

Also on the itinerary for Saturday: a late-afternoon speech in front of Independence Hall on religious freedom and immigration. The weekend's events will culminate in an outdoor Mass Sunday evening for 1 million people.

Among those greeting Francis at the airport was Richard Bowes, a former Philadelphia police officer wounded in the line of duty seven years ago. Francis also got out of his black Fiat to bless a man in a wheelchair on the tarmac, kissing him on the forehead.
A Catholic high school band played the theme song from the Philadelphia-set movie "Rocky."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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