Catholic lawmakers thrilled by upcoming visit of Francis

“Pope Francis”, she says, “I want to tell you that my heart is sad and I would like to ask you to speak with the president and the Congress and legalizing my parents because every day I am scared that one day they will take them away from me”.

He recalled the former pope’s spontaneous ease with all kinds of people, recalling an incident during the Philadelphia visit when his microphone stopped working and no one could hear his words.

Visits to Washington this week by Pope Francis and Chinese President Xi Jinping will add to the intrigue and complexity of a political season in the nation’s capital already in full swing.

Pope Francis, who arrives in New York City on Thursday and has events scheduled throughout Manhattan, has developed a reputation for being particularly interactive with crowds, which presents a unique challenge when it comes to protecting him.

Jaskowiak said she and others in her group love Pope Francis and relate to him in ways they never did with his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. “It’s a faith journey to come together with other people of faith from around the world“, Monsignor Fryar said. He concluded by telling the journalist, “but you are right, I need to delve more into this”. City officials have had a hard time preparing for the visit, and the extensive plans and precautionary constraints have put a bitter taste in the mouths of many in regards to the pope, but that doesn’t mean we should turn sour and write this whole thing off as excessive.

Pope Francis is surrounded by security guards as he heads to Havana Cathedral in Cuba.

The money grab goes beyond just public transportation, though, as scalpers are also collecting tickets to free events and selling them to visitors desperate to see the Pope.

People wave Cuban and Papal flags as Pope Francis passes by in Havana. “I see the Church as a field hospital after a battle”, he said during his interview with Jesuit priest, Fr. Spadaro. But other federal authorities said they were not aware of the alleged incident.

That matching is done in consultation with a regional leader known as a provincial, says McCouch, who is his community’s superior and an assistant to the Baltimore-based provincial who oversees the region that includes Philadelphia.

It’s just that we’re not used to hearing from a Jesuit pope, say local members of the almost 500-year-old Society of Jesus – the Jesuits’ formal name.

In a statement, the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, bishop of Scranton, said the diocese will be “well represented” in Philadelphia. Many of them follow him on Twitter (@Pontifex) and Instagram.

Ms. Rodriguez, a senior who completed adult confirmation at King’s her freshman year, said getting to see Francis is a highlight of her return to the church.

Since his election, Pope Francis’s relatively progressive beliefs and emphasis on social action have generated excitement.

“I’m very excited because it’s a once in a lifetime experience”, said 11 year old Anna Holt.

Tim Cullen, Bishop Hoffman Catholic Schools’s superintendent, said the Fremont school district would try to broadcast some of the pope’s public speeches to students.

The family of eight spent the last six months planning out the week-long trip and will make the 11-hour drive Saturday morning.

Burbidge said Francis is remarkable in his ability to convey strong, sometimes controversial beliefs in a way that does not alienate those who disagree with him on issues such as abortion, immigration and the environment.