Pope To End His US Visit With Million-Strong Mass In Philadelphia

But it was not the hard-hitting discussion a few conservative American bishops may have wanted to hear.

Francis has decided on a new Vatican tribunal to prosecute bishops who covered up abuse and shielded pedophile priests instead of turning them over to police, according to The Associated Press.

But Francis was cheered by tens of thousands Saturday night at a music-and-prayer festival on the Parkway, waving to the crowd in his open-air popemobile.

On Saturday, the pope largely discarded his prepared text and spoke off-the-cuff at the World Meeting of Families conference, calling the family “a factory of hope”.

But there were fears that the extraordinary security – including airport-style bag searches, crowd-control cattle chutes and blocked-off streets – would scare many people away and result in a turnout far below organizers’ expectations.

Late in the afternoon, he was scheduled to celebrate a final Mass on U.S. soil on Philadelphia’s grandest boulevard, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with organisers predicting a crowd of 1 million. The meeting took place a day after the pope celebrated Mass with Justin Rigali, the cardinal who was archbishop in Philadelphia when the archdiocese was accused of sheltering pedophiles. The sprawling, picturesque campus is on Philadelphia’s Main Line. Francis also kissed the forehead of a 10-year-old boy severely disabled with cerebral palsy. From the airport, Francis rode by motorcade to the downtown Cathedral Basilica of Sts.

The Pope has made similar comments in the past, but has rejected the idea of ordaining women. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics plan to hold separate events, including one for gay parents and their children, in a push for more acceptance in the church.

He became the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday before flying to New York to speak before the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.

With a towering golden crucifix behind him, Francis told his listeners that their presence itself was “a kind of miracle in today’s world”, an affirmation of the family and the power of love.

Hours before Sunday’s Mass, Roman Catholics from across the country and around the world began trekking into the city, crossing bridges on foot and packing subway cars. “He’s not scripted. He’s relatable”, said Filipina Opena, 46, a Catholic from LaMirada, California. “His heart, in itself, you can see that reflected through his message”, said Filipina Opena, 46, a Catholic from LaMirada, California, as tour groups and families walked among Philadelphia’s historic sites ahead of the pope’s visit.

Vince Miller, professor of theology at University of Dayton in Ohio, said Francis, employed “exquisite political skill”, in his speech, which Miller saw as the pope’s attempt to balance conflicting worldviews that prioritize one issue over another. “And the small things that he does, spending time with the poor, it’s more than just symbolic”. A monsignor who oversaw priest assignments was found guilty of child endangerment, becoming the first American church official convicted of a crime for failing to stop abusers. Earlier Sunday, during his meeting with seminarians at St. Martin’s Chapel of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, the pope gave a powerful speech regarding the church’s sexual abuse crisis.

The visit is also shaping up as one of the most interesting ecclesial pairings of the pope’s trip. His host is Chaput, an outspoken opponent of abortion and gay marriage who takes a hard line on church teaching in the archdiocese.