Pope Francis wraps up New York City visit

He asserted that the poor have inherent rights to education, religious freedom and other civil rights as well as lodging, labor and land.

Francis arrived in the United States from Cuba insisting that he isn’t a leftist, and that his message is perfectly in keeping with the Catholic Church’s social teaching.

After the United Nations address, the pontiff visited the National September 11 Museum and Memorial, where he toured the reflecting pools that mark the location of the World Trade Center’s twin towers that were destroyed in the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Garcia added, “Pope Francis has been an incredibly humble leader and has developed a very positive agenda”.

The Holy Father asked God for eternal peace for those killed, as well as healing for the relatives of the victims. There were embraces and tears as he handed loved ones of those lost on 9-11 rosaries encouraging them to pray for peace.

After Friday evening’s Mass, Pope Francis will spend a second night at the diplomatic residence of the papal nuncio, a five-story townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

They hung 8-foot (2.5-meter) banners on police barricades along the pope’s route, urging him to unlock the parish doors. For him, it was transformed into a chapel in the heart of the Big Apple.

After an impassioned early morning speech at the United Nations, and the grave solemnity of Ground Zero, Francis was welcomed in song and laughter on a warmly emotional visit to a Catholic school in New York’s East Harlem neighbourhood yesterday afternoon. It also illustrates the Roman Catholic Church’s struggles with changing times, diminishing congregations and a dwindling priesthood. Participants on a prominent white supremacist forum declared Pope Francis’ statements to be antithetical to their movement and to Christianity. The majority of the students hailed from Our Lady, Queen of the Angels School, where 92 percent of the students are minorities and two-thirds are on scholarship.

Later, he was to greet as many as 80,000 onlookers during a drive through Central Park, en route to Mass for 18,000 at Madison Square Garden.

“Definitely worth the wait on line”, one woman told WCBS 880’s Ginny Kosola.

“Various city, state and federal agencies are involved in ensuring a safe and secure visit for his Holiness, as well as for members of the general public who plan to attend the various events associated with his visit”, the order reads. “[Pray for me.] Don’t forget the homework!” “Tears came down”.

Before vesting for Mass, Pope Francis entered the arena in an electric cart, riding up and down the aisles, kissing babies and blessing several sick children.

The pope waved, smiled and accepted some flowers and other gifts. The children and teachers then got to introduce themselves to Francis, and to show him projects from their classes.

Before Francis addressed the big shots, he met with some 400 janitors, cooks, electricians and secretaries and other workers who keep the United Nations going and thanked them for making “possible numerous diplomatic, cultural, economic and political initiatives”. Feeling the gravity of the momentous occasion, the crowd rose to its feet as the pontiff’s procession made its way to the stage. But he went on to praise cities for their multiculturalism-citing the “hidden riches” of diversity of culture, or tradition and of experience, a variety of languages, costumes and cuisines.

Francis also highlighted those who are marginalized – foreigners, children who lack an education, people without health insurance, the homeless and elderly – can also go unnoticed in large cities, such as New York.

“He frees us from anonymity, from a life of emptiness and selfishness, and brings us to the school of encounter”, Francis said.