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UP FRONTSaturday 26 September
Pope Francis mingles with high and low in New York visit
NICOLE WINFIELD Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass at Madison Square Gar- dors of power to the grit of met with relatives of the
DAVID CRARY den, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in New York. the projects with lush Cen- 3,000 victims whose names
Associated Press tral Park in between. are inscribed on the wa-
NEW YORK (AP) — Sweep- (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, Pool) He drew huge, adoring ter’s edge.
ing through the landmarks crowds while also manag- Among those on hand
of America’s biggest city, “Living in a big city is not cultures, traditions and his- ing to connect one-on-one was Monica Iken-Murphy,
Pope Francis on Friday of- with countless New York- whose husband, bond
fered comfort to 9/11 vic- always easy,” Francis told torical experiences.” ers, despite extraordinarily trader Michael Patrick Iken,
tims’ families at ground 18,000 people at the Gar- Francis’ itinerary for his tight security that closed died in one of the towers.
zero, warnings to world den, easily one of the most only full day in New York off many streets and kept “This is where loved ones
leaders at the United Na- most spectators behind lost their lives ... and this
tions and encouragement respectful crowds the are- was packed with contrasts police barricades. is the way we are going
to schoolchildren in Harlem “As he passed by, you to honor them by having
as he mixed the high and na has ever seen. “Yet big befitting a head of state passed a cool, refresh- someone who is holy, clos-
low ministry so characteris- cities are a reminder of the dubbed the “slum pope” ing peace, as if he were est to God, Pope Francis,
tic of his papacy. hidden riches present in our for his devotion to the poor. spreading a huge blan- come here and bless this
In the early evening, he led world in the diversity of its He moved from the corri- ket of peace through the site,” Iken-Murphy said. “I
a jubilant parade through crowd,” Ruth Smart of couldn’t be prouder to
Central Park past a crowd Brooklyn said of the pro- share this memorial and
of about 80,000 and cel- cession in Central Park. museum with him.”
ebrated Mass at Madison “Even though the crowd Francis’ afternoon sched-
Square Garden, usually the exploded in a roar, it was ule reflected the penchant
site of basketball games pure joy.” of the “people’s pope” for
and rock concerts but this On Saturday morning, he engaging with the pub-
time the scene of a solemn flies to Philadelphia for a lic, starting with a visit to
service celebrating New big Vatican-sponsored ral- Our Lady Queen of Angels
York in all its diversity. ly for Catholic families. As School, set amid public
many as 1 million people housing in the heavily His-
are expected for the clos- panic neighborhood of
ing Mass on Sunday, the East Harlem.
last day of Francis’ six-day, After the morning’s dead-
three-city visit to the U.S. ly serious activities, the
In his speech at the U.N., 78-year-old pope clearly
the pope decried the de- perked up when he got
struction of the environ- to the Catholic school.
ment through a “selfish and He joked around with the
boundless thirst for power children, chatted happily
and material prosperity.” with them in Spanish, shook
The environment itself has hands and posed for a few
rights, and mankind has no selfies. The pope — who
authority to abuse them, says he hasn’t watched TV
said Francis, who hopes in decades and doesn’t
to spur concrete commit- know how to work a com-
ments at the upcoming puter — even got a lesson
climate-change negotia- in how to use a touch-
tions in Paris.He demanded screen from fourth-grader
immediate access for the Kayla Osborne, 8.
world’s poor to adequate The crowd in the gym in-
food, water and housing, cluded about 150 immi-
saying they have the right grants and refugees, some
to lodging, labor and land. of them in the U.S. illegally.
Francis’ speech, delivered In his remarks, Francis re-
in his native Spanish, re- called the Rev. Martin Lu-
ceived repeated rounds ther King Jr.’s “I Have a
of applause from an audi- Dream” speech, saying:
ence that included Ger- “His dream was that many
man Chancellor Angela children like you could get
Merkel, Bill and Melinda an education. It is beautiful
Gates, and Nobel peace to have dreams and to be
laureate Malala Yousefzai, able to fight for them.”
the young Pakistani activist About a half-hour before
shot and gravely wounded the popemobile passed
by the Taliban. The ovations through Central Park, a
contrasted sharply with the rainbow suddenly ap-
moment of silent prayer peared above the crowd,
during the pope’s visit later which erupted in joyous
in the day to ground zero “Oooohs!” and “Ahhhhhs!”
for an interfaith tribute to Francis smiled as he rode
the Sept. 11 victims. slowly in his open-sided
After praying before the Jeep past a cheering,
waterfall pools that mark shrieking crowd and a sea
the spot where the twin of arms holding cellphones
towers once stood, Francis aloft.q
