pope john paul ii visit to usa

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Recalling St John Paul II’s seven visits to the United States

CNA Staff, Apr 2, 2020 / 09:02 am

St. John Paul II was the most traveled pope in history, logging some 700,000 miles and visiting nearly 130 countries.

One of the first countries the pope visited after his election was the United States. As Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, he had visited the US in 1976, two years before his election, stopping at places such as Michigan, Ohio, and Montana, and was eager to return.

Over the course of his nearly 27-year pontificate, St. John Paul II would make seven visits to the US- five of significant length, and two brief stopovers during which he nevertheless left a lasting impression on the memories of the locals.

St. John Paul II died April 2, 2005. On the anniversary of the saint's death, we take a look back at his seven visits to the United States.

Visit 1 , October 1-9, 1979

Where : Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Des Moines, Chicago, Washington, D.C.

St. John Paul II's first visit to the United States as pope was a whirlwind six-city tour that began with a gathering of 100,000 at Boston Common. He then went to New York where he held a youth rally at Madison Square Garden, gave a speech at the United Nations and celebrated Mass before a congregation of 80,000 at Yankee Stadium. He also received a ticker-tape parade in Philadelphia.

After a warm welcome in Chicago, St. John Paul II made his way to Des Moines, ostensibly after a Catholic Iowa farmer wrote to the pope to invite him to see life in "rural America, the heartland and breadbasket of our nation." A crowd of 350,000 greeted him at a farm just outside the city.

The visit also marked the first time a pope had entered the White House, as he met with President Jimmy Carter in Washington. The two leaders discussed situations in the Philippines, China, Europe, South Korea, and the Middle East, and the pope emphasized to Carter the need for the United States to keep ties open to the largely Catholic people of Eastern Europe, then under the throes of Communism.

Finally, St. John Paul II celebrated Mass on the National Mall.

What the pope said:

"Dear young people: do not be afraid of honest effort and honest work; do not be afraid of the truth. With Christ's help, and through prayer, you can answer his call, resisting temptations and fads, and every form of mass manipulation. Open your hearts to the Christ of the Gospels-to his love and his truth and his joy. Do not go away sad!" -Mass at Boston Common

"Fourteen years ago my great predecessor Pope Paul VI spoke from this podium. He spoke memorable words, which I desire to repeat today: 'No more war, war never again! Never one against the other,' or even 'one above the other,' but always, on every occasion, 'with each other.'" -Address to the United Nations

"We cannot stand idly by, enjoying our own riches and freedom, if, in any place, the Lazarus of the twentieth century stands at our doors. In the light of the parable of Christ, riches and freedom mean a special responsibility. Riches and freedom create a special obligation. And so, in the name of the solidarity that binds us all together in a common humanity, I again proclaim the dignity of every human person: the rich man and Lazarus are both human beings, both of them equally created in the image and likeness of God, both of them equally redeemed by Christ, at a great price, the price of 'the precious blood of Christ" (1 Pt 1 :19).'" -Mass at Yankee Stadium

"To all of you who are farmers and all who are associated with agricultural production I want to say this: the Church highly esteems your work. Christ himself showed his esteem for agricultural life when he described God his Father as the "vinedresser" (Jn 15 :1). You cooperate with the Creator, the "vinedresser", in sustaining and nurturing life. You fulfill the command of God given at the very beginning: "Fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen 1 :28). Here in the heartland of America, the valleys and hills have been blanketed with grain, the herds and the flocks have multiplied many times over. By hard work you have become masters of the earth and you have subdued it." -Mass in Des Moines

"All human beings ought to value every person for his or her uniqueness as a creature of God, called to be a brother or sister of Christ by reason of the Incarnation and the universal Redemption. For us, the sacredness of human life is based on these premises. And it is on these same premises that there is based our celebration of life-all human life. This explains our efforts to defend human life against every influence or action that threatens or weakens it, as well as our endeavors to make every life more human in all its aspects. And so, we will stand up every time that human life is threatened." -Mass on the National Mall

Visit 2, February 26, 1981

Scotland pauses sex-change and puberty-blocker drugs for children

Where: Stopover in Anchorage

The pope's first visit to Alaska was brief- a stopover lasting just over four hours on his way back to Rome after a pastoral visit to the Philippines, Guam, and Japan- but left a lasting impression.

An estimated 100,000 people came to downtown Anchorage to see the pope, which remains the largest gathering of people in the history of the state.

Then-Archbishop Francis Hurley of Anchorage recalled that as he was escorting the pope downtown, he made a special point of greeting the elderly who waved at him out of the windows of a senior living facility.

When he arrived at Holy Name Cathedral, he took the time to greet the diabled and elderly who had come to see him. One disabled child- who died shortly after the encounter- handed him a bouquet of forget-me-nots; St. John Paul II made a point of mentioning the child and the flowers the next time he visited Alaska, saying that "her loving gesture is not forgotten."

The visit "pulled a lot of Catholics out of the woodwork we didn't know were Catholic" and inspired them back to the practice of their faith, Archbishop Hurley told the archdiocesan newspaper.

(Story continues below)

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"My brothers and sisters in Christ: Never doubt the vital importance of your presence in the Church, the vital importance of religious life and of the ministerial priesthood in the mission of proclaiming the mercy of God. Through your daily life, which is often accompanied by the sign of the cross, and through faithful service and persevering hope, you show your deep faith in the merciful love of God, and bear witness to that love, which is more powerful than evil and stronger than death." -Address to priests and religious in the Anchorage cathedral

Visit 3, May 2, 1984

Where: Stopover in Fairbanks

Once again, Alaska served as a midpoint for the pope between Rome and the Pacific, as he embarked on his pastoral journey to Korea, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Thailand.

This time, St. John Paul II appeared with President Ronald Reagan, who was himself returning from a trip to China, at the Fairbanks airport. During the pope's brief, three-hour refuelling stop, Reagan praised him as a defender of human freedom, and as a source of "solace, inspiration, and hope."

"In some ways, Alaska can be considered today as a crossroads of the world...Here in this vast State sixty-five languages are spoken and peoples of many diverse backgrounds find a common home with the Aleuts, Eskimos and Indians. This wonderful diversity provides the context in which each person, each family, each ethnic group is challenged to live in harmony and concord, one with the other. To achieve this aim requires a constant openness to each other on the part of each individual and group. An openness of heart, a readiness to accept differences, and an ability to listen to each other's viewpoint without prejudice. Openness to others, by its very nature, excludes selfishness in any form. It is expressed in a dialogue that is honest and frank-one that is based on mutual respect. Openness to others begins in the heart." -Address to authorities and people of Alaska

Visit 4, September 10-19, 1987

Where: Miami, Columbia, SC, New Orleans, San Antonio, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Francisco, Detroit

This trip was the longest of St. John Paul II's visits to the US, and his first to the contiguous West Coast. Reagan greeted him once again, this time in Miami.

Notable episodes from the visit included the pope's Mass in Miami being cut short because of a storm; addressing representatives of black Catholics at the Superdome in New Orleans; attending an ecumenical conference on the University of South Carolina campus; Mass in San Antonio with about 275,000 in attendance; touring a Catholic hospital and attending the Tekakwitha Conference- a national gathering of Native American Catholics- at the Arizona State Fair Grounds Coliseum in Phoenix; and addressing representatives from the communications industry in Los Angeles.

Though the pope encountered some protests in San Francisco, and crowds were not as large as some had expected, his visit still drew at least 300,000 in California.

"God loves you! God loves you all, without distinction, without limit. He loves those of you who are elderly, who feel the burden of the years. He loves those of you who are sick, those who are suffering from AIDS and from AIDS-Related Complex. He loves the relatives and friends of the sick and those who care for them. He loves us all with an unconditional and everlasting love." -Address at Mission Dolores Basilica, San Francisco

"The obligation to truth and its completeness applies not only to the coverage of news, but to all your work. Truth and completeness should characterize the content of artistic expression and entertainment. You find a real meaning in your work when you exercise your role as collaborators of truth – collaborators of truth in the service of justice, fairness and love." -Address to people of the communications industry, Los Angeles

"From the very beginning, the Creator bestowed his gifts on each people. It is clear that stereotyping. prejudice, bigotry and racism demean the human dignity which comes from the hand of the Creator and which is seen in variety and diversity. I encourage you, as native people belonging to the different tribes and nations in the East, South, West and North, to preserve and keep alive your cultures, your languages, the values and customs which have served you well in the past and which provide a solid foundation for the future. Your customs that mark the various stages of life, your love for the extended family, your respect for the dignity and worth of every human being, from the unborn to the aged, and your stewardship and care of the earth: these things benefit not only yourselves but the entire human family. Your gifts can also be expressed even more fully in the Christian way of life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is at home in every people. It enriches, uplifts and purifies every culture. All of us together make up the People of God, the Body of Christ, the Church. We should all be grateful for the growing unity, presence, voice and leadership of Catholic Native Americans in the Church today." -Address to Native American Catholics

"I express my deep love and esteem for the black Catholic community in the United States. Its vitality is a sign of hope for society. Composed as you are of many lifelong Catholics, and many who have more recently embraced the faith, together with a growing immigrant community, you reflect the Church's ability to bring together a diversity of people united in faith, hope and love, sharing a communion with Christ in the Holy Spirit. I urge you to keep alive and active your rich cultural gifts. Always profess proudly before the whole Church and the whole world your love for God's word; it is a special blessing which you must forever treasure as a part of your heritage. Help us all to remember that authentic freedom comes from accepting the truth and from living one's life in accordance with it – and the full truth is found only in Christ Jesus. Continue to inspire us by your desire to forgive – as Jesus forgave – and by your desire to be reconciled with all the people of this nation, even those who would unjustly deny you the full exercise of your human rights." -Address to black Catholics

"America, your deepest identity and truest character as a nation is revealed in the position you take towards the human person. The ultimate test of your greatness in the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenceless ones." -Farewell Address

Visit 5: World Youth Day, August 12-15, 1993

Where: Denver

At the time it was chosen, Denver seemed to many to be an odd choice for a host for World Youth Day- the international gathering of young people that he himself had instituted in 1985. The city was experiencing a surge in crime, and many feared that the septuagenarian pope would not be successful in attracting young people to the event.

Nevertheless, World Youth Day in Denver was a huge success, with an estimated 750,000 people attending the final Mass at Cherry Creek State Park. Young people from all over the world showed their willingness to sacrifice and experience pilgrimage by lodging in parish halls en route to Denver, trudging through the heat to Cherry Creek State Park, sleeping on the ground there, and enduring other discomforts.

Upon St. John Paul II death in 20115, then-Archbishop Charles Chaput said that the Pope's visit to Denver was "a Transfiguration for the Church in Northern Colorado - a moment when Jesus smiled on us in a special, joyful, vivid way and invited us into his mission to the world."

"Pilgrims set out for a destination. In our case it is not so much a place or a shrine that we seek to honor. Ours is a pilgrimage to a modern city, a symbolic destination: the "metropolis" is the place which determines the life–style and the history of a large part of the human family at the end of the twentieth century. This modern city of Denver is set in the beautiful natural surroundings of the Rocky Mountains, as if to put the work of human hands in relationship with the work of the Creator. We are therefore searching for the reflection of God not only in the beauty of nature but also in humanity's achievements and in each individual person. On this pilgrimage our steps are guided by the words of Jesus Christ: 'I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.'" -Welcome ceremony at Mile High Stadium

"Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel (Cfr. Rom 1,16). It is the time to preach it from the rooftops (Cfr. Matt 10,27). Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern 'metropolis.' It is you who must 'go out into the byroads' (Matt 22,9) and invite everyone you meet to the banquet which God has prepared for his people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father." -Mass at Cherry Creek State Park

Visit 6, October 4-9, 1995

Where: Newark, East Rutherford, NJ, New York City, Yonkers,  NY, Baltimore

This marked the pope's second visit to New York City, and he visited several other cities on the Eastern seaboard. It was his first visit to New Jersey, where he made stops in Newark- celebrating Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral- and East Rutherford, saying Mass at Giants Stadium.

Upon returning to New York, the pope addressed the United Nations for a second time.

"Freedom is not simply the absence of tyranny or oppression. Nor is freedom a licence to do whatever we like. Freedom has an inner 'logic' which distinguishes it and ennobles it: freedom is ordered to the truth, and is fulfilled in man's quest for truth and in man's living in the truth. Detached from the truth about the human person, freedom deteriorates into license in the lives of individuals, and, in political life, it becomes the caprice of the most powerful and the arrogance of power. Far from being a limitation upon freedom or a threat to it, reference to the truth about the human person - a truth universally knowable through the moral law written on the hearts of all - is, in fact, the guarantor of freedom's future." -Address to the United Nations

"As a Christian, my hope and trust are centered on Jesus Christ, the two thousandth anniversary of whose birth will be celebrated at the coming of the new millennium. We Christians believe that in his Death and Resurrection were fully revealed God's love and his care for all creation. Jesus Christ is for us God made man, and made a part of the history of humanity. Precisely for this reason, Christian hope for the world and its future extends to every human person. Because of the radiant humanity of Christ, nothing genuinely human fails to touch the hearts of Christians. Faith in Christ does not impel us to intolerance. On the contrary, it obliges us to engage others in a respectful dialogue. Love of Christ does not distract us from interest in others, but rather invites us to responsibility for them, to the exclusion of no one and indeed, if anything, with a special concern for the weakest and the suffering. Thus, as we approach the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of Christ, the Church asks only to be able to propose respectfully this message of salvation, and to be able to promote, in charity and service, the solidarity of the entire human family." -Address to the United Nations

"At the end of your National Anthem, one finds these words: "Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust!'" America: may your trust always be in God and in none other. And then, "The star–spangled banner in triumph shall wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave." Thank you, and God bless you all!" -Farewell address at the Baltimore airport

Visit 7, January 26-27, 1999

Where: St. Louis

The pope's final visit to the United States took him to St. Louis, sometimes called "The Rome of the West" for its many Catholic churches. His visit included a youth rally at an arena, Mass at the city's stadium, and vespers at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.

Along the way, he met with President Bill Clinton, civil rights leader Rosa Parks, and baseball players Mark McGuire and Stan Musial.

He asked then-governor Mel Carnahan to spare the life of triple-murderer Darrell Mease, whose original execution date had been set for that day- which the governor did, commuting his sentence to life without parole.

Though the pope's age- 78- showed during his 31-hour visit, his enthusiasm and joy attracted thousands of people and left a lasting impression on the city. The Mass he celebrated at the then-Trans World Dome is said to be the largest indoor gathering ever held in the U.S.

"I am told that there was much excitement in St. Louis during the recent baseball season, when two great players (Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa) were competing to break the home-run record. You can feel the same great enthusiasm as you train for a different goal: the goal of following Christ, the goal of bringing his message to the world. Each one of you belongs to Christ, and Christ belongs to you.

At Baptism you were claimed for Christ with the Sign of the Cross; you received the Catholic faith as a treasure to be shared with others. In Confirmation, you were sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and strengthened for your Christian mission and vocation. In the Eucharist, you receive the food that nourishes you for the spiritual challenges of each day.

I am especially pleased that so many of you had the opportunity today to receive the Sacrament of Penance, the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In this Sacrament you experience the Savior's tender mercy and love in a most personal way, when you are freed from sin and from its ugly companion which is shame. Your burdens are lifted and you experience the joy of new life in Christ.

Your belonging to the Church can find no greater expression or support than by sharing in the Eucharist every Sunday in your parishes. Christ gives us the gift of his body and blood to make us one body, one spirit in him, to bring us more deeply into communion with him and with all the members of his Body, the Church. Make the Sunday celebration in your parishes a real encounter with Jesus in the community of his followers: this is an essential part of your 'training in devotion" to the Lord!' -Address to young people

"I will always remember St. Louis. I will remember all of you." -Final words at the cathedral of St. Louis

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Remembering Pope John Paul II's final visit to the United States

Twenty-five years ago this month, Pope John Paul II visited St. Louis on what would be the last of his seven trips to the United States. To mark the anniversary, Catholic Health World is sharing its coverage of that historic event. St. Louis was the only American city the pontiff visited after he attended a meeting of the Synod of Bishops for America in Mexico City.

Copyright © 2024 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States

For reprint permission, contact Betty Crosby or call (314) 253-3490.

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Here’s what it was like in Washington the first time a pope came to visit

Pope John Paul II was the first pope to visit Washington, on a whirlwind 1979 tour of the United States that also included stops in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa. It was the second papal visit ever to America.

Among those who traveled to Washington to meet the John Paul II were some Catholics from West Virginia mining country who rented the only two charter buses around for their trip.

A  Washington Post reporter riding with the group asked them what it was like to be from a place filled with Protestants. “It’s not easy to be Catholic in West Virginia,” the Rev. Charles Schneider told the reporter.

Jim Copolo, then 25, said most of the people on the bus with him became familiar with taunts about “praying to statues” from their classmates, in a region where only about 1 in 20 people were Catholic.

Here’s the group with a hand-painted banner they brought to Washington:

Below are other stories and photos about John Paul II’s two-day visit to the District. All are from The Washington Post’s archives.

“May the blessings of Almighty God descent in abundance on all the people of this nation’s capital,” he told the crowd. The pope drew a delighted roar from the crowd when he diverged from his printed remarks to greet “in a particular way the citizens of Maryland.” Later, as he strolled along the fence, exuberant members of the crowd tossed flowers at his feet, clambered by the dozen atop portable bathrooms to wave, and held mirrors up to catch his reflection. The pope clasped and lifted children who scrambled past his body guards, greeted and thanked an airline stewardess who promptly burst into tears, and shook hands with the Navy band conductor. Then he climbed into a Marine helicopter for the short flight to Washington as the strains of “God of Our Fathers” rang out. — “The Arrival: Flowers Tossed at His Feet And a Welcome From Mondale,” by Jackson Diehl and Margaret Shapiro, Oct. 7, 1979 (The Washington Post) 

There were others, of course, even the faithful, who did not feel John Paul II is doing enough, and they were outside St. Matthew’s Cathedral in force to let him know. They were the activists from Catholic Advocates for Equality, whose blue and black banners urged on the pope such thoughts as “Sexism is a Sin” and “A Woman’s Place is in the Sanctuary.” Carole Rayburn of Washington, a member of the group, held her equality sign high above the heads of the masses outside the cathedral. “We are here by the hundreds,” she said. “In Christ there is neither male nor female. That is from Galatians 3:28.” — “They Come to See and Be Touched,” by Ward Sinclair, Oct. 7, 1979 (The Washington Post) 

Mary Grady, who has been confined to a wheelchair for 22 years, traveled from Frederick, Md., only to find she could not get in without a ticket. “I cried piteously,” she said. “I felt sad.” But Grady joined a small group of handicapped persons who positioned themselves to see the pontiff as he left. “At least I got here this far and that’s pretty good,” she said. “My parents, my grandparents never saw the Pope. And I’ll never get to Rome.” — “Hoping for Miracles, Handicapped Come To See the Pontiff,” by Thomas Morgan and Patricia Camp, Oct. 8, 1979 (The Washington Post) 

“He seems to be saying that real problems can be solved, like the problems of poverty, genocide, total annihilation, materialism, cynicism. That thing about cynicism really struck me because I’m a very cynical person. But you can’t live life by being cynical. I mean, sitting around criticizing things isn’t going to make things better.” Still, the pope’ s visit, he said has not spurred him to become a daily massgoer again, or even to accept wholesale the teachings of the Catholic Church. “I believe in hope, and maybe that’s why I like this pope. There’s something really hopeful about what he’s saying. . .He’s not going around demanding that you have faith or be charitable, but he’s saying, if you have hope, things will be better.” — “One Catholic’s Spiritual Journey,” by Judith Valentine, Oct. 7, 1979 (The Washington Post)

A few days after Pope John Paul II left the United States after his jubilant two- day visit in Washington, Msgr. David E. Foley, pastor of St. Bernadette’s Church in Silver Spring, received a phone call from a former parishioner who had been separated from her husband for a year. “The woman,” the pastor recounted, “said she had watched the Holy Father on television and heard his message on marriage, about how separations come about when two people get lost in themselves rather than each other. She asked me if I could talk with her and her husband, and help them work on a reconciliation.” Later, Foley received a letter from another parisioner’s wife who said she was not a Catholic, but had raised her children in the Catholic faith because of her husband. The pope’ s visit, she related, had spurred her to think about attending classes for converts, Foley said. — “ John Paul’s Bequest: Joy and Conflict,” by Judith Valentine, Oct. 14, 1979 (The Washington Post) 

“Security, medical, traffic and transportation preparations for the mass on the Mall proved more than adequate, and the crowd was handled with hardly an incident. Planners had prepared for 500,000 to 1 million people. The Park Service said that 175,000 came. It was expensive planning. Hundreds of police officers, nurses and Metro attendants, many on overtime, often stood idle, waiting for something to do. — Souvenir vendors had a bad day. “We’re all stuck with tons of material,” said John Bauer, who was trying to sell pope pins for $1.50 each on 14th Street. “I have $3,000 worth of stock and I can’t sell it,” said Jay Harris, a Washington freelance photographer who was selling buttons and balloons. “I didn’t get to sell but $200 yesterday. This is a oneshot deal, and I think I’m going to sink.” — “Coping Proved Easier Than Expected,” by Apul W. Valentine and Douglas B. Feaver, Oct. 8, 1979 (The Washington Post.) 

“We were watching the pope until 1 p.m., but when the Redskins game came on, we switched to that,” said Paul Meagher, manager of the Hawk and Dove Restaurant on Capitol Hill. “People came here to see the football game, so that’s what we give them.” — “Many Residents, Visitors Pass Up Papal Mass on Mall,” by Margaret Shapiro and Ted Gup, Oct. 8 1979 (The Washington Post)

The thousands that did gather to see the pope as he drove about the city where the Catholic population is much smaller than in cities like Boston and Chicago reached to John Paul with the same excitement as the larger throngs who greeted him elsewhere. By dawn yesterday, hundreds of students and families had gathered outside the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to see John Paul make his first stop of the day. As the pope moved past them up the stairs of the enormous church, he reached out to touch their frantically waving hands, kiss their cheeks and gather bewildered children into his arms. At the top of the staircase, he paused for a moment to address the crowd when suddenly two girls shouted out, “We love you.” — “‘You Americans Have Supported Me Very Well,'” by Christopher Dickey, Oct. 8, 1979 (The Washington Post)

When last seen close up, Pope John Paul II was standing in the garden of the apostolic delegate to Washington before a battery of microphones that would not work and once again was running far behind schedule. He was in a playful mood, thumping the mikes and shaking his head wryly, and ad libbing while he said farewell to the journalists who had followed him and, through them, to the nation. When he finished his prepared remarks, he said goodbye in several languages, with a “Cheers!” in English, and then someone shouted, “Come back to America, John Paul.” The pope smiled, and said: “You Americans have supported me very well” That is perhaps the one thing about his extraordinary trip to the United States that everyone can agree upon. —  “The Legacy,” by Haynes Johnson, Oct. 8, 1979 (The Washington Post) 

Apostolic Journey to the United States of America (October 1st-8, 1979)

• Welcome ceremony in Boston (October 1st, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Address during the visit to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston (October 1st, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Mass on the Boston Common (October 1st, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Secretary General of the United Nations (October 2, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the General Assembly of the United Nations (October 2, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , German , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the representatives of non-governmental organizations (October 2, 1979) [ English , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the operators of social communications to the United Nations (October 2, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the members of the Secretariat of the United Nations (October 2, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Farewell from the United Nations (October 2, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the people of New York during the visit at St. Patrick's Cathedral (October 2, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To African Americans (October 2, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Spanish community of South Bronx (October 2, 1979) [ French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Mass at Yankee Stadium in New York (October 2, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Morning Prayer at St Patrick's Cathedral (October 3, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To High School Students gathered at Madison Square Garden (October 3, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Speech during the visit to Battery Park (October 3, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the faithful gathered in the Shea Stadium (October 3, 1979) [ French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Speech during the visit to the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul in Philadelphia (October 3, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Mass at the Logan Circle in Philadelphia (October 3, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the seminarians of Philadelphia (October 3, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Visit to the Tomb of St John Neumann in Philadelphia (October 4, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Spanish community in Philadelphia (October 4, 1979) [ Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Visit to the Ukrainian Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia (October 4, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Mass for the American Priests in Philadelphia (October 4, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Community of St Patrick in Des Moines (October 4, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Mass at the Living History Farms in Des Moines (October 4, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Visit to the "Holy Name" Cathedral in Chicago (October 4, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To Religious men on the Feast of St Francis (October 4, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Visit to the Church of the Divine Providence in Chicago (October 5, 1979) [ French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Mass for the Polish Community in Chicago (October 5, 1979) [ French , Italian , Polish , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Greetings to the sick in the Seminary of Quigley South (October 5, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Greetings to the students of the Minor Seminary in Chicago (October 5, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Bishops of the United States of America (October 5, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Mass at the Grant Park in Chicago (October 5, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Symphony Orchestra of Chicago (October 5, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Welcome ceremony in Washington (October 6, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ] 
• Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Washington (October 6, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the President of the United States of America (October 6, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Farewell from President Carter (October 6, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Organization of American States (October 6, 1979) [ French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• At the end of the visit to the Organization of American States (October 6, 1979) [ Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Members of the Diplomatic Corps in Washington (October 6, 1979) [ French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Students of the Catholic University (October 7, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Visit to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (October 7, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Religious Women in Washington (October 7, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Prayer at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (October 7, 1979) [ English , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Catholic University in Washington (October 7, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Ecumenical meeting of prayer in Washington (October 7, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the operators of social communications in Washington (October 7, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• To the Knights of Columbus (October 7, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Mass at the Capitol Mall in Washington (October 7, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Departure from Washington (October 7, 1979) [ English , French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]
• Arrival in Rome (October 8, 1979) [ French , Italian , Portuguese , Spanish ]

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• Philadelphia

A look back at Pope John Paul II’s visit to Philadelphia in 1979

• Neema Roshania Patel

In this Oct. 3, 1979 file photo Pope John Paul II performs an outdoor mass for a huge audience at Logan Circle in Philadelphia. (AP file photo)

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New York | Francis in America

Popes in america.

By EMILY S. RUEB SEPT. 18, 2015

When Pope Paul VI touched down in New York City on Oct. 4, 1965, he became the first pontiff to visit the Western Hemisphere. Pope John Paul II made seven trips to the United States over two decades. The last papal visit came in 2008, when Pope Benedict XVI stopped in New York and Washington.

All three popes filled stadiums and were feted like rock stars as their motorcades wended through city streets. But the pontiffs also used their time in the American spotlight to speak out on a range of issues, including human rights, nuclear arms and abortion.

Here is a look back at some of the highlights from papal visits past.

As the first pontiff to visit the United States, Pope Paul VI spent 13 and a half hours in New York. At the United Nations, he issued a stirring call for disarmament in the nuclear age. He quoted President John F. Kennedy, the country's first Roman Catholic president, who had died two years before, declaring that mankind must put an end to war or war would put an end to mankind.

"No more war, never again war!" he pleaded in English with a soft Italian accent. "Drop your weapons. One cannot love with offensive weapons in hand."

The room, which was filled with 2,000 dignitaries and special guests including several members of the Kennedy family, erupted in a standing ovation after his 35-minute address.

Earlier, he met with President Lyndon Johnson for 46 minutes at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. He also visited St. Patrick's Cathedral and a church near the United Nations.

Millions lined the city streets to greet the pope, including 18,000 police officers providing security. He made a 25-mile procession inside a bubble-top limousine that started in Queens, went through Harlem and eventually down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

' Pope Calls for 'No More War' as U.N. Goal and Urges Effort to Admit All Nations ," The New York Times, October 5, 1965

'Thousands Guard Paul on Trip ,' The New York Times, October 5, 1965

' Two Leaders Meet ,' The New York Times, October 5, 1965

Video of the Pope at St. Patrick's Cathedral , ABC News, October 4, 1965

In October 1979, Pope John Paul II made the first of seven visits to the United States, where he outlined a program for his papacy. Over the course of a week, he visited six cities and delivered 69 speeches and sermons.

"I greet you, America the beautiful!" he said to a crowd of 100,000 at Boston Common . The rain-soaked crowd responded with cries of "Viva Papa!"

From Boston, he went on to New York, where he spoke at the United Nations and urged world leaders to sustain the human rights of all people, including Palestinian Arabs. He also warned of the perils of the nuclear arms race and repeated the words that Pope Paul VI said 14 years before: “ No more war. War never again .”

His two days in the city ended with an evening Mass at Yankee Stadium , where he asked 80,000 congregants to remember the "urgent need" of service to the poor.

"Even New York City, with its love of parades, theatrical opening-nights and sports spectaculars, has seldom seen anything like this," wrote The Times.

After an hourlong private meeting, the 59-year-old pope and the president, a born-again Christian, addressed about 10,000 invited guests on the South Lawn. With the Senate considering the strategic arms limitation agreement, the pope issued a strong call for weapons restrictions .

"Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I know and appreciate this country's efforts for arms limitation, especially of nuclear weapons," he said. "With all my heart, I hope that there will be no relaxing its efforts."

Thousands gathered for worship on the Mall , the concluding event of his trip.

"Human life is precious because it is the gift of a God whose love is infinite," he said, reiterating his stance against abortion. "And when God gives life, it is forever."

' Text of Pope John Paul II's Homily at a Mass on Boston Common ,' The New York Times, Oct. 2, 1979

' Special Issue: The Pope in New York ,' The New York Times, Oct. 3, 1979

' Pope Firmly Defends Church Restriction on Contraception ,' The New York Times, Oct. 6, 1979

' 53 Nuns, After a Prayer, Stand in a Silent Protest to Pontiff Candidates for Priesthood Turns Away From Banners ,' The New York Times, Oct. 8, 1979

' New Challenge for U.S. Catholics ,' The New York Times, Oct. 9, 1979

When Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan met while their airplanes refueled at Fairbanks International Airport in Alaska, it was the first time a president and a pope met somewhere other than the White House or Vatican, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It was the second time the two met, and the first since the United States reestablished full diplomatic relations in January of that year, according to The Times.

It was the pope's second time in Alaska, where, under rainy gray skies, he was greeted by musical concerts and vendors selling Polish sausage sandwiches.

The pope made an appeal to the president and to 5,000 Alaskans for ''an openness of heart, a readiness to accept differences and an ability to listen to each other's viewpoint without prejudice.''

' Reagan and Pope Confer in Alaska on World Issues ,’ The New York Times, May 3, 1984

Pope John Paul II began a 10-day tour of the United States in Miami, where he was welcomed by a crowd that included President Ronald Reagan and the first lady. Under his administration, the United States established full diplomatic relations with the Holy See, which meant the pope was officially received as a head of state. Previously, he was merely extended the courtesies due his status.

His tour -- which included stops in Columbia, S.C.; New Orleans; San Antonio; Phoenix; San Francisco; Detroit; and Los Angeles, where he met with Clint Eastwood -- coincided with bicentennial celebrations of the Constitution.

"'I willingly join you in your prayer of thanksgiving to God for the providential way in which the Constitution has served the people of this nation for two centuries," he said.

Pope John Paul II's visit to San Francisco underscored the church's conservative attitudes on homosexuality and AIDS. There, he confronted a large group of protesters who shouted "Pope go home" and "Nazi Pope," and carried signs that read, "Curb your dogma."

Homosexuals ''are not outcasts'' in the church, said the pope, but instead, ''like all people who suffer, they are in the heart of the church.''

''God loves you all, without distinction, without limit,'' the pope said at the Mission Dolores Basilica. ''He loves those of you who are sick, those who are suffering from AIDS and from AIDS-related complex.''

There, the pope met with 100 Catholic AIDS patients, including two priests.

Asked about the causes of AIDS, he said, ''The church is doing all that is possible to heal and especially to prevent the moral background of this.''

His visit concluded in Detroit, where he delivered his strongest anti-abortion language of the trip .

"If you want equal justice for all, and true freedom and lasting peace, then, America, defend life from conception until natural death."

' Pontiff Embraces Welcome in Miami; Deflects Queries ,’ The New York Times, Oct. 3, 1987

' AIDS Issue at Fore as Pope Visits San Francisco Today ,' The New York Times, Sept. 17, 1987

' Pope Stresses Forgiveness As Homosexuals Protest ,' The New York Times, Sept. 18, 1987

Pope John Paul II joined 180,000 young Catholics from 70 countries in Denver at World Youth Day . During his trip, the pope lamented what he called "the false morality of modern society." He called abortion and euthanasia “the slaughter of innocents,” and urged young people to practice “natural” birth control.

He publicly acknowledged "the suffering and scandal" surrounding the sexual molestation of young people by Catholic priests.

After his first face-to-face encounter with President Bill Clinton, the pope spoke out strongly against the president’s stand on abortion, remarks that appeared to take the White House by surprise .

"In developed countries, a serious moral crisis is already affecting the lives of many young people, leaving them adrift, often without hope, and conditioned to look only for instant gratification," he said. "Only by instilling a high moral vision can a society insure that its young people are given the possibility to mature as free and intelligent human beings, endowed with a robust sense of responsibility to the common good, capable of working with others to create a community and a nation with a strong moral fiber."

' Pope Expounds Stern Guidelines, Warning U.S. Could Lose Its Soul, ' The New York Times, Aug. 15, 1993

' Pope Edits His Most Critical Language to End Visit on Positive Note, ' The New York Times, Aug. 16, 1993

On his fourth visit to the United States, Pope John Paul II returned to New York after a 16-year absence . President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the governors of New York and New Jersey, and 800 dignitaries, political leaders and almost the entire hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in this country greeted him. He ur ged peace, support for the United Nations, openness to immigrants and a continuation of American social programs for the poor.

"Ancient rivalries and suspicions still compromise the cause of peace. We must find ways to set them aside. If we do not, history and the Lord of history will judge us harshly."

In a nation of immigrants, he said, "it would indeed be sad if the United States were to turn away" from sharing its blessings with newcomers. And the poor and disadvantaged also have roles in "a society in which none are so poor that they have nothing to give and none are so rich that they have nothing to receive."

At Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, before a wet but jubilant crowd of 83,000 people, he intensified his call to America to preserve its openness to immigrants and its social support of the poor.

"Today, as before, the United States is called to be a hospitable society, a welcoming culture. If America were to turn in on itself, would this not be the beginning of the end of what constitutes the very essence of the American experience?"

He recited the rosary with more than 3,000 invited guests at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Outside, the pope broke from behind his bulletproof shields and security guards when he went on an unexpected stroll on the streets of New York .

The largest event and the centerpiece of his four-day visit was a Mass with 125,000 congregants on the rain-soaked playing fields of the 50-acre Great Lawn in Central Park.

In his homily, he exhorted the faithful, and young people in particular, to care for the poor, the hungry, the homeless and people with AIDS, and to spread religious ideals in a world moving toward the third Christian millennium, wrote The Times.

"Stand up for marriage and family life!" the pope said. "Stand up for purity." Clad in a gold-trimmed miter and vestments, he spoke from a majestic altar draped with papal flags of purple and gold and brilliantly illuminated with hundreds of spotlights.

Texts of Speeches at the Airport and Sacred Heart Cathedral , The New York Times, The New York Times, Oct. 5, 1995

' On Newark’s Highest Hill, Faith and Joe Overflow, ' The New York Times, The New York Times, Oct. 5, 1995

' Confront Crises, Pope Urges Nation, ' The New York Times, Oct. 6, 1995

A Homily Links Human Progress and Salvation (Remarks at Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, a Mass for 75,000), ' The New York Times, Oct. 7, 1995

125,000 Join Pope at Mass in Central Park ‘Basilica,’ The New York Times, Oct. 8, 1995

It was a potentially awkward moment when Pope John Paul II shook hands with President Bill Clinton at an airport in St. Louis, as the Monica Lewinsky scandal embroiled the country. The Vatican's main concern seemed to be that the moral vision laid out by the pope not be drowned out by the awkward iconography of the moment.

Later, at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, a cavernous indoor sports arena, he was greeted by about 20,000 teenagers waving yellow scarves, screaming and chanting "We love you," as well as the St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire, who is Catholic.

The ailing pope, whose voice was slurred as the result of Parkinson's disease, was at times difficult to understand. But his spirit seemed to be buoyed by the boisterous crowd. After being presented with a hockey stick, the pope rose from his armchair and briefly lowered his staff and used it to mime the motion of a hockey pass. The crowd approved with raucous laughter and applause.

The next day, the 78-year-old pope preached to 100,000 people at the Trans World Sports Dome, urging Roman Catholics to extend the crusade to protect human life and to include murderers on death row.

"The new evangelization calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life," he said. "Modern society has the means of protecting itself, without definitively denying criminals the chance to reform."

' Pope Sets Forth a Moral Agenda in St. Louis Visit ,' The New York Times, January 27, 1999

‘ Pope, in St. Louis Mass, Urges U.S. Catholics to Oppose Death Penalty ,’ The New York Time, January 28, 1999

Before Pope Benedict XVI landed at Andrews Air Force Base to begin a six-day visit, he admitted to reporters he was “deeply ashamed ” of the Roman Catholic Church's sexual-abuse scandal in the United States.

“Who is guilty of pedophilia cannot be a priest,” he said.

Throughout his trip, he would reiterate this message.

While celebrating Mass at Nationals Park before nearly 50,000 people, his first major encounter with the country’s diverse church, he brought it up in his homily.

"No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse," he said. "It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention."

On Benedict’s 81st birthday, he met with President George W. Bush at the White House.

In New York, Pope Benedict XVI became the first pope to visit a Jewish synagogue in the United States, when he offered Passover greetings to local Jewish clergy at the Park East Synagogue.

At the United Nations General Assembly, Benedict emphasized the protection of human rights as "the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and for increasing security."

He also celebrated Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Yankee Stadium and blessed the site of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, pleading with God to bring "peace to our violent world."

' Text of Pope's Speech to Bishops ,' The New York Times, April 17, 2008

' Benedict Meets With the Victims of Sexual Abuse ,' The New York Times, April 18, 2008

' Slide Show: Papal Mass in Washington ,' The New York Times, April 17, 2008

' Slide Show: The Pope's Visit to New York ,' The New York Times, April 18, 2008

' Pope Benedict XVI’s Address to the U.N. General Assembly ,' The New York Times, April 19, 2008

Pope Francis’ Visit to U.S.

Full Coverage on Pope Francis’ Visit to U.S.

Pope Francis’ Visit to U.S. Is His First Ever, for Several Reasons

Pope Francis, on U.S. Visit, Will Reach Out to the Struggling

7 Lives Intersecting With Pope Francis’

Pope’s Visit Poses a Security Test for New York

Before the Pope’s Visit, a 180-Foot-Tall Francis Arrives in Midtown

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Personal Encounters

President jimmy carter - pope john paul ii’s visit to the white house, 1979.

In October 1979, when Pope John Paul II made his first papal pilgrimage to the United States, he took the country by storm. Describing himself as a “messenger of brotherhood and peace,” the pope traveled to six American cities preaching a message of freedom and human dignity to millions of Americans. Time magazine dubbed him “John Paul, Superstar,” for the enormous crowds that he drew and the wild enthusiasm they showed for him.

On October 6, President Carter welcomed him to the White House where the two men met privately in the Oval Office for an hour. At the start of the meeting, these two deeply religious men—each at the pinnacle of power in their respective spheres—agreed to speak not as diplomats, but as Christian brothers. Eventually, their discussions turned to world affairs. But first, the President asked the Pope how he handled the adulation; John Paul II, who ministered to the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics and stood up to tyrants and dictators around the world with an age-old message of hope, said that he prayed about that more than anything. President Carter’s notes from that historic meeting are shown here.

President Jimmy Carter’s notes from his private meeting with Pope John Paul II, October 6, 1979, front

Although his notes are sketchy, they show that the discussion included particular situations in the Philippines, China, Europe, South Korea, and the Middle East. The White House issued a statement that day stating that during the meeting “the Pope and the President agreed that efforts to advance human rights constitute the compelling idea of our times.”

National Archives, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, Georgia

President Jimmy Carter’s notes from his private meeting with Pope John Paul II, October 6, 1979, reverse

President Jimmy Carter with Pope John Paul II, photograph by Bill Fitz-Patrick, October 6, 1979

Pope John Paul II was the first pope to ever visit the White House.

National Archives, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Atlanta, Georgia [NLJC-13525.15]

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50 Years Of Pope Visits To The United States

Reporter, HuffPost

Pope Francis waves to faithfuls gathered in St. Peter's Square following his Sunday Angelus prayer from the window of the pontiff studio on August 16, 2015 at the Vatican.

Pope Francis will make his first visit to the United States in September, with stops in Washington, New York and Philadelphia. His trip will add to the 50-year history of pope visits to the U.S.

Pope Paul VI made the first papal visit to the U.S. in October 1965. He addressed the United Nations General Assembly, attended the New York World's Fair and celebrated Mass at Yankee Stadium. He also met with President Lyndon Johnson.

In October 1979, Pope John Paul II made his first of seven trips to the U.S. He visited Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Des Moines, and met President Jimmy Carter in Washington.

In February 1981, John Paul II spent several hours on a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska, after canonizing the first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz , in Manila. Three years later, he met President Ronald Reagan during another stopover in Alaska, while en route to canonize 103 martyrs in Seoul, South Korea.

John Paul II's longest U.S. visit was in September 1987, when he made stops in Miami; New Orleans; San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix; Los Angeles; Salinas, California; and Pontiac, Michigan. In 1993, he celebrated Mass at World Youth Day and met with President Bill Clinton in Denver.

John Paul II visited New York City, New Jersey and Baltimore in 1995, and met again with Clinton. His final visit was in January 1999, when he celebrated Mass with more than 100,000 people at a football dome in St. Louis.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the U.S. once, in April 2008. He met with President George W. Bush at the White House and visited New York City, where he offered a blessing at the World Trade Center site.

Here's a look back at 50 years of pope visits to the U.S.:

Pope John Paul II gestures to the crowd during his trip to the United States, on Oct. 6, 1979.

Young girl receives communion from Pope John Paul II as they celebrate Mass at Aqeduct Race Track in Jamaica, Queens, on Oct. 6, 1995.

Pope John Paul II says evening prayers in the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, during his 1995 visit to the U.S.

Pope John Paul II leaves St. Patrick's Cathedral on Oct. 7, 1995, in New York surrounded by security and police as he heads for an impromptu walk down Fifth Avenue.

Pope John Paul II prepares communion during an outdoor Mass in New York's Central Park, Oct., 7, 1995.

Pope John Paul II during Mass in Central Park on Oct. 8, 1995.

Pope John Paul II greets President Bill Clinton during his visit to St. Louis in 1999.

Pope Benedict XVI waves to supporters after exiting the popemobile at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York, U.S., on Sunday, April 20, 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI gestures as he arrived for a mass at the Yankee Stadium in New York on April 20, 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI waves after the conclusion of Mass at Yankee Stadium in New York on April 20, 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI gives a blessing with holy water during ceremonies at Ground Zero on his last day in New York on April 20, 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI visits Ground Zero on his final day in New York City, April 20, 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI speaks at JFK International Airport, joined by Vice President Richard and Mrs. Lynne Cheney during his farewell ceremony on April 21, 2008.

Also on HuffPost:

Popes Who Shook The World

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Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

St. John Paul II’s historic visit to Baltimore 25 years ago put spotlight on Premier See

The visit of St. John Paul II to Baltimore 25 years ago marked a watershed moment in the history of the first diocese in the United States.

In what was the first and (so far) only visit of a pope to the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the attention of the world was focused on the Premier See as the spiritual leader of a 1-billion-member church invited its American members to live the Gospel more fully.

A willingness to let the Lord transform lives should produce “a renewed spiritual and missionary vitality,” the then-75-year-old Polish pontiff told tens of thousands of people packed into Oriole Park at Camden Yards for a Mass Oct. 8, 1995.

“It is important for America that the moral truths which make freedom possible should be passed on to each new generation,” St. John Paul II said in his homily. “Every generation of Americans needs to know that freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”

During his 10-hour visit, the pope enjoyed a parade in his white popemobile from Oriole Park to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where he prayed in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The Catholic Review reported that more than 300,000 people lined the parade route.

St. John Paul II also ate lunch at Our Daily Bread with 17 people who had benefited from Catholic Charities programs. He led a prayer service at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen before visiting 300 seminarians and faculty members at St. Mary’s Seminary.

Years after the historic visit, many who encountered the pope that day said their lives were forever changed.

Melissa Brent, then a 7-year-old student at St. William of York School, was one of two students hugged by the pope after they gave him a welcoming gift of black-eyed Susans at what is now BWI International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The moment was immortalized in a 7-foot, 850-pound bronze statue now standing in the Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden in downtown Baltimore.

Brent told the Review after the dedication of the statue that she felt a sense of warmth, comfort and calm when the pope embraced her. After his death in 2005, she prayed for his intercession whenever she had a difficult decision to make.

Jim and Pat McDonnell spent less than a minute in the presence of Pope John Paul II, but it was enough to change their lives .

The longtime parishioners of Our Lady of Victory in Arbutus had recently lost their son, Ryan, when he was struck and killed by two cars while riding his bicycle.

Selected to offer the sign of peace to the pope during his Mass at Oriole Park, the McDonnells accompanied their two other children, 14-year-old Sean and 8-year-old Brigid, in approaching the pontiff.

The pope kissed Brigid on the head and embraced her brother, mother and father. He extended heartfelt condolences to Jim McDonnell for the death of his son.

“When I touched him and looked into his eyes, it was just like looking into the eyes of Jesus,” Pat McDonnell told the Catholic Review several years after the pope’s death. “After having that experience with him, I felt like our family could get through anything.”

Chuck and Karen Spivey served as gift bearers with their four children at the stadium Mass. Among Karen Spivey’s most treasured belongings is the rosary the pope gave her that day.

“I watched this man who represents Jesus Christ on Earth kiss and bless each of my children,” the parishioner of St. Joseph, Sykesville, remembered on the occasion of the pope’s death. “Our 2-year-old was acting like a 2-year-old, clamoring to be put down. I remembered that as the pope kissed him, there was this collective ‘ahhhh.’ I had totally forgotten there were 60,000 other people there.”

As St. John Paul II greeted people during his visit to Our Daily Bread, Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Gwynette Proctor (then-director of the outreach center) was struck that he seemed totally present to each person.

“Pope John Paul II insisted his visit not interrupt the meal that was to be served that day,” Sister Gwynette said later. “He insisted whatever our guests ate, that’s what he would eat.”

A day after the papal visit, Cardinal William H. Keeler called the event “a new central point in defining the archdiocese.”

“The successor of St. Peter came to Baltimore,” Cardinal Keeler said, “and challenged us to do our best.”

Email George Matysek at [email protected]

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John Paul II in the U.S.: The 1987 Papal Visit

John Paul II in the U.S.: The 1987 Papal VisitThe Sept. 10-19 visit of Pope John Paul II to the United States was his second major U.S. trip, following that of Oct. 1-7 1979 when, following a stop in Ireland, he visited Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Des Moines, Chicago and Washington, D.C. During his 27-year pontificate, Pope John Paul also made trips in August 1993 to Denver (for World Youth Day); in October 1995 to Newark, New York and Baltimore (in conjunction with the United Nations’ 50th anniversary); and in January 1999 to St. Louis, as well as brief stops in Anchorage (February 1981) and Fairbanks (May 1984), on his way to or from Asia.The 1987 visit was his longest and — in addition to Eucharistic celebrations — included numerous meetings with groups representing many areas of U.S. Catholic life, the U.S. institutional church (ordained, religious and lay), and the ecumenical and interfaith community. To view the addresses and homilies presented by Pope John Paul II, visit www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/index.htm and click on “Travels.”Thursday, Sept. 10: Miami. Addresses to people at St. Mary’s Cathedral, to priests of the U.S. at St. Martha Church, and to President Ronald Reagan at Vizcaya Museum.Friday, Sept. 11: Miami and Columbia, S.C. Meeting with representatives of U.S. Jewish organizations, Miami; Mass in Tamiami Park, Miami. Address to people at St. Peter Church, Columbia; meet with students and staff at University of South Carolina; meeting with representatives of Christian churches and ecclesial communities; ecumenical service at South Carolina Stadium.Saturday, Sept. 12: New Orleans. Address to people at St. Louis Cathedral; separate meetings with Black Catholic community, representatives of Catholic elementary and secondary schools and leaders in religious education, and young people of New Orleans, all at Louisiana Superdome; meeting with representatives of Catholic universities at Xavier University; Mass at Eastern Campus, University of New Orleans.Sunday, Sept. 13: San Antonio. Mass at Westover Hills; Angelus; meeting with members of Catholic Charities USA at San Antonio Municipal Auditorium; meeting with seminarians at San Fernando Cathedral; meeting with Hispanic Catholic community at Plaza de Nuestra Se√±ora de Guadalupe.Monday, Sept. 14: Phoenix. Radio message to people of New Mexico; address to people of Southwest at Basilica of St. Mary Civic Plaza, Phoenix; address to leaders of Catholic health care at Phoenix Convention Center; visit to the Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude; meeting with Native peoples of the Americas at Memorial Coliseum; Mass and celebration of the anointing of the sick at Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium. Tuesday, Sept. 15: Los Angeles. Motorcade from LAX to downtown; address to faithful at St. Vibiana’s Cathedral; address to communications industry professionals at Universal City Registry Hotel; teleconference with youth in four cities at Universal Amphitheater; Mass with people of Los Angeles Province at Memorial Coliseum.Wednesday, Sept. 16: Los Angeles. Celebration of Lauds at San Fernando Mission; meeting with U.S. Bishops at Queen of Angels Seminary High School, Mission Hills; meeting with elementary school students of Immaculate Conception School, L.A.; meeting with representatives of world religions and religious leaders at Japanese Cultural Center; Mass with U.S. Bishops and Act of Entrustment to the Virgin Mary at Dodger Stadium.Thursday, Sept. 17: Monterey and San Francisco. Mass for the rural workers at Laguna Seca Raceway; meeting with the faithful at San Carlos Borromeo Mission, Carmel, and at Mission Dolores Basilica, San Francisco; meeting with the religious of the U.S. at Cathedral of St Mary. Friday, Sept. 18: San Francisco and Detroit. Meeting with representatives of Catholic laypeople at Cathedral of St Mary; Mass at Candlestick Park; visit to Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Detroit; visit with Polish community at Terreno di Hamtramck.Saturday, Sept. 19: Detroit. Meeting with permanent deacons at Ford Auditorium; meeting with the people of Detroit at Hart Plaza; Mass at Pontiac Silverdome.Pope John Paul then traveled on Sunday, Sept. 20 to Fort Simpson, Canada, where he celebrated Mass with the Native peoples of Canada at the Camp Ground of Fort Simpson. He had been scheduled to visit there in May 1984 as part of a visit to Canada, but thick fog prevented his plane from landing.In all, his 104 trips outside Italy made Pope John Paul II by far the most widely traveled pope in history. —Mike Nelson {gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2012/0914/visitside/{/gallery}

Mike Nelson

Angelus news.

Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus).

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Wcvb at 50: pope john paul ii visits boston.

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In 1979, Pope John Paul II made a historic visit to Boston -- his first Mass in the U.S. -- the backdrop a rain-soaked Boston Common.

Pope John Paul II’s Historic Visit Stirred Faith of New Orleans’ Black Catholics

PROSPECT HEIGHTS — The national media converged on New Orleans Sept. 12, 1987, when Pope John Paul II — now a saint — became the first pontiff to visit the historic city at the edges of Louisiana’s bayous.

Reporters from large news organizations joined thousands of welcoming spectators for the pope’s whirlwind visit. Riding in the “popemobile” he darted throughout the “Big Easy” to complete multiple stops, including St. Louis Cathedral, the Louisiana Superdome, and Xavier University of Louisiana.

Excitement especially flowed from black Catholics who were just hitting their strides in incorporating African American culture into the liturgy with lively gospel music and spirituals.

The Second Vatican Council had encouraged new forms of worship some 20 years earlier. Meanwhile, a new black Catholic spirit grew alongside victories in the civil rights movement. 

Father Jeffery Ott was a junior at Xavier back then, and the editor of the college newspaper, the Xavier Herald. He also sang in the 50-member gospel choir during the pope’s stop at the university. 

“I remember as a young person feeling part of the Church — really connected and joyful about serving,” Father Ott said. “And in my mind, Pope John Paul II was like a rock star.” 

But Father Ott, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Atlanta, recently told The Tablet that many years passed before he fully realized the impact of the papal visit, and how it influenced his own story. 

Still, the national media understood the significance and sent news crews to capture this historic moment. The pope — canonized in 2014 — went to the Superdome specifically to meet with the black Catholic community of New Orleans.

At the time, Auxiliary Bishop James Lyke (1939-1992) of Cleveland told the Los Angeles Times that this was the first time a pope had met with black Catholics as a body in the U.S.

“His visit will mean many things,” Bishop Lyke added. “But, above all, it certainly is going to dispel the myth that the Church is a white Church. That message should be loud and clear.”

And it was a message black Catholics had longed to hear. Their struggles were outlined in the same Times article by Father Fernand Cheri, then the 35-year-old pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in New Orleans. 

He described how black Catholics had been treated like “second-class citizens” in local Catholic churches. He said they had to sit in back pews or choir lofts and had to wait until white parishioners received Communion before they could approach the altar. 

“The miracle of the Church today is that we still have black Catholics after enduring what we have had to endure,” Father Cheri said in 1987. He went on to become an auxiliary bishop in New Orleans and served until his death last year.

Pope John Paul II told his Superdome audience that he empathized with black Catholics’ fight to shed the shackles of racial injustices. 

“Even in this wealthy nation, committed by its Founding Fathers to the dignity and equality of all persons, the black community suffers a disproportionate share of economic deprivation,” Pope John Paul II said. 

“Far too many of your young people,” he continued, “receive less than an equal opportunity for a quality education and for gainful employment.” 

The pope said the Church must help to correct all imbalances and disorders of a social nature.

“Indeed,” he added, “the Church can never remain silent in the face of injustice, wherever it is clearly present.” 

The pope went on to praise the civil rights movement. He called its nonviolent strategy for social justice a “monument of honor” to the black community of the U.S. 

He mentioned the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s providential role “in contributing to the rightful human betterment of black Americans and therefore to the improvement of American society itself.” 

Father Ott said he did not remember which songs the gospel choir performed for the pope, but the pontiff was genuinely moved by the performance. 

After his speech, he rushed over to the singers and greeted them with an exuberant affirmation in his thick Polish accent: “Choir! Choir! Choir!” 

“We were just a bunch of screaming young people,” Father Ott said. “And he shook our hands — individually. It just blew my mind. I ran around for a good long time saying, ‘I shook the pope’s hand!’” 

Still, the experience was like a seed planted that would remain dormant for several years because, at that time, Father Ott had no desire to be a priest. 

He graduated from Xavier and moved to New York City to pursue a graduate degree in urban planning at Columbia University. 

He wasn’t active in church until he heard about a parish on Dean Street in Brooklyn — Our Lady of Charity, which is now part of St. Matthew Parish in Crown Heights.

Father Ott had heard the services were lively with gospel-oriented music.

He recalled thinking, “Oh, I want to go to church there,” and so he did. He eventually moved from Harlem to Brooklyn to be closer to the parish. 

Father Ott then recalled his interaction with the pope, and a seed of renewed spirituality sprouted. Soon he was pursuing a vocation with the Dominicans.

Now, as the pastor of an urban parish, he has a different appreciation of Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1987 and how it shaped his own future. 

“All these years later,” Father Ott said, “it was an affirmation that my faith is important to me. And yeah, it made me excited about my walk with Jesus.”

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Bishop Philip Hannan was an Army military Chaplain during WWII and served with the 82nd Airborne. He was very close to President Kennedy and his family and gave the homily at the President’s funeral Mass and later for Robert Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy Onasis.

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Saint Pope John Paul II Visit

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On October 4, 1979 Saint Pope John Paul II made a historical visit to Des Moines, Iowa and celebrated an outdoor mass at Living History Farms. Approximately 350,000 people from around the country, the largest crowd in Iowa history, flocked to the Farms on a cold and rainy autumn day. As the Pope arrived in a helicopter, the skies parted and the bright sun came out.

Prior to his first visit to the United States, the Pope received a letter from Iowa farmer Joe Hayes. Written at his rural home kitchen table, the farmer invited the Pope to travel to Iowa on his U.S. tour to speak on stewardship of the land. The Pope did just that – speaking on gratitude, conservation, and generosity of the land and those who farm it.

When Living History Farms’ Church of the Land was constructed as part of the 1876 town of Walnut Hill, a stained glass window of the church was privately donated to the museum to commemorate Saint Pope John Paull II’s visit.

1979 Papal Visit Photo Gallery

Video of Pope’s Mass from Iowa State University’s Special Collections and University Archives

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Papal Visits

By William Madges

Popes use their visits to encourage faith, emphasize their priorities, and fulfill their role as pastors. The places visited use these trips to highlight their successes, history, and culture on an international stage. Prior to the visit of Pope Francis (b. 1936) to Philadelphia on September 26 and 27, 2015, only one other pope had made an official visit to the city. Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) came on October 3 and 4, 1979, as part of his first trip to the United States as pope. As Cardinal Wojtyła, he had visited Philadelphia in August 1976, representing Pope Paul VI at the International Eucharistic Congress during the celebration of the nation’s bicentennial.

John Paul II enjoyed a close relationship with John Cardinal Krol (1910-96), archbishop of Philadelphia (1961-88), a fellow Pole with whom he shared similar views concerning theology and church discipline. The large Catholic population of the archdiocese (more than 1.3 million), the historical significance of the city, and the pope’s friendship with Cardinal Krol were all factors in Philadelphia’s selection for a visit.

Before Philadelphia, John Paul II visited the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, where he enunciated themes repeated in Philadelphia: the dignity of the human person, fundamental human rights, and the primacy of spiritual and moral values over material and technological progress. In 1979, Philadelphia was like many other urban centers, experiencing declining influence relative to the suburbs. During the 1972-80 tenure of Mayor Frank Rizzo (1920-91), a time of white flight to the suburbs and increases in crime rates, taxes, and poverty, tensions ran high between white residents and African Americans. In this context, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul , the pope prayed that everyone in the region would “succeed in making your inner city and suburbs places where people are no strangers to each other, where every man, woman and child feels respected; where nobody feels abandoned, rejected or alone.” In his homily at the Mass in Logan Circle that followed, John Paul urged the estimated 400,000 participants to preserve the human and Christian values—especially liberty and justice—of the city’s and the nation’s heritage. Before leaving, the pope met with seminarians and priests, Hispanic Catholics, and Ukrainian Catholics.

World Meeting of Families

Philadelphia’s second opportunity for a papal visit emerged in connection with the city’s hosting of the 2015 World Meeting of Families, a triennial event established by John Paul II to encourage discussion of the challenges and contributions of family life. The two-day papal visit was planned to encompass the meeting’s concluding events, a family festival (September 26) and a Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (September 27). Organizers projected that the Mass featuring the pope would draw between one and two million people.

In addition to appealing to the local Catholic community, the prospect of a second papal visit also drew support from civic and business leaders eager to encourage business opportunities and tourism by presenting Philadelphia as a city of global stature. A delegation including Robert J. Ciaruffoli (b. 1951), a top executive at accounting firm Baker Tilly, and Daniel Hilferty (b. 1957), Independence Blue Cross CEO, joined Mayor Michael Nutter (b. 1957), Governor Tom Corbett (b. 1949), and Archbishop Charles Chaput (b. 1944) in flying to Rome in March 2014 to encourage the pope to come to Philadelphia. The religiously diverse Executive Leadership Cabinet of the World Meeting of Families also reflected broad support.

The pope’s vigorous engagement with contemporary issues added to public interest in the visit, as evinced by newspaper articles, op-eds, and letters on the subject. Since his election in March 2013, the pope called for serving the urgent needs of migrants and refugees, protecting the environment, and making economic systems more just. He also sought to persuade the Church to be more concerned with compassionate service to all, especially the marginalized, rather than with a rigid adherence to doctrinal orthodoxy.  His message resonated not only with Catholics, but also with many others. At the same time, the pope’s insistence that humans had a moral obligation to become good stewards of the earth, instead of degrading the environment and inflicting suffering on the poor across the globe, led some conservatives to argue that the pope should steer clear of forays into “scientific” matters.

The Pope’s Itinerary

Like John Paul II before him, Francis’ arrival in Philadelphia followed an address at the United Nations in New York.  Echoing themes from that address, in Philadelphia Francis—using the same lectern that Abraham Lincoln used to deliver the Gettysburg Address—spoke about religious freedom and immigration at Independence Hall on September 26. He also met with selected prisoners and their families at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility before celebrating a concluding Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on September 27.

While the two papal visits have many similarities, fund-raising for the 2015 visit of Pope Francis differed from its 1979 precedent. In 1979, after Mayor Frank Rizzo announced that the city would cover the $205,569 expense of the platform and decorations for the public Mass, the ACLU filed and won a lawsuit against Philadelphia for violating the First Amendment.  In 2015, no public funds were to be used to cover the estimated $45 million cost of infrastructure, security, and cleanup for the World Meeting of Families and the papal visit. A development committee chaired by Eustace Mita , CEO of Achristavest, a waterfront development company, led the fund-raising. In addition to appealing to local businesses, foundations, and individual philanthropists for most of the needed funds, the committee created opportunities for supporters to purchase merchandise online, to donate $10 to light a candle for one’s intentions at the Cathedral Basilica, and to designate the World Meeting of Families as a preferred charity to receive a percentage of purchases made on Amazon.com.

Security measures in 2015 were also far more robust than in 1979, which preceded the era of the 9/11 attacks and the rise of al Qaeda and ISIS.  The first papal visit had no secure vehicle perimeter to block traffic, nor was there screening of visitors with magnetometers or high fences severely restricting access to the principal papal venues. The 2015 visit, designated a National Special Security Event by the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security ,  led the city to implement unprecedented travel restrictions, criticized by some as excessive. These measures included closing the Benjamin Franklin Bridge , the Vine Street Expressway, and large stretches of the Schuylkill Expressway to private vehicles and preventing incoming traffic into the three-square-mile papal security perimeter for the entire weekend.

About one month before the pope’s visit, city officials and World Meeting of Families supporters mounted a campaign to undo  negative publicity brought by uncertainties over security and transportation issues, including distribution of “OpeninPHL” kits to downtown businesses and assurances that the city would take the event in stride.

Despite the inconvenience caused by the travel restrictions and disruption created by the huge influx of visitors, Philadelphia expected to net more than $400 million in economic benefit from the 2015 papal visit. Hotels and restaurants expected to reap the greatest profit, but local merchants—especially the official retail vendor, Aramark— also stood to benefit from the selling of papal paraphernalia, including the papal bobblehead doll with cheesesteak in hand, T-shirts, coffee mugs, and religious articles. In the final months prior to the pope’s arrival, local media intensified their coverage of the preparations for the papal visit, providing daily updates as their papal clocks counted down to Francis’s visit, expected to be the largest event thus far in Philadelphia history.

William Madges , Ph.D., is a professor of theology in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Saint Joseph’s University.  His most recent publication is a translation of Walter Kasper’s Pope Francis’ Revolution of Tenderness and Love (New York: Paulist Press, 2015).

Copyright 2015, Rutgers University

Philadelphia Civic Center Clergy-Only Mass

PhillyHistory.org

This sign at the old Civic Center in 1979 heralded Pope John Paul II's visit to Philadelphia, during which he held two Masses, one in Logan Circle for the public and the other at the Philadelphia Civic Center for 10,000 priests and 3,000 nuns.

During Pope Francis's 2015 visit to Philadelphia, two Masses were scheduled, the first at 10:30 a.m. September 26 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul for local religious and those with personal invitations.

The second, open to the public, occurred on September 27, when the pope celebrated the closing mass for the World Meeting of Families. He officiated from a stage in Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Logan Circle Stage for Pope John Paul II, 1979

The public Mass held in Logan Circle on October 3, 1979, drew more than a million people, according to police estimates at the time, stretching on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from City Hall to the Art Museum.

Although the one million attendance figure has been widely used since Pope John Paul II's 1979 visit, and organizers at the World Meeting of Families 2015 predicted more than one million people would attend a parkway Mass on September 27, recent appraisals by crowd specialists say that the parkway can hold only about 400,000 people. Organizers set up giant screens beyond the parkway to handle the overflow.

In 1979, the papal stage and altar at Logan Circle brought controversy as Mayor Frank Rizzo spent $205,569 of public funds during its construction. A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union against the City of Philadelphia argued that using public money to build the stage amounted to “public sponsorship of a religious service.” The city lost the lawsuit and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia reimbursed the costs of the construction.

To avoid a similar issue with the 2015 visit of Pope Francis, the City of Philadelphia made clear that the $45 million in expenses for the papal event would be paid by the World Meeting of Families, covering all religious and nonreligious aspects of the visit.

Crowd at Pope John Paul II's Mass in 1979

During the 1972 to 1980 tenure of Mayor Frank Rizzo, a time of white flight to the suburbs and increases in crime rates, taxes, and poverty, tensions ran high between white residents and African Americans. In this context, in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, the pope prayed that everyone in the region would “succeed in making your inner city and suburbs places where people are no strangers to each other, where every man, woman and child feels respected; where nobody feels abandoned, rejected or alone.” In his homily at the Mass in Logan Circle that followed, John Paul urged the hundreds of thousands in attendance to preserve the human and Christian values—especially liberty and justice—of the city’s and the nation’s heritage.

Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II (1920-2005), shown here, was the only other pope to make an official visit to Philadelphia, on October 3 and 4, 1979, as part of his first trip to the United States as pope. Popes use their visits to encourage faith, emphasize their priorities, and fulfill their role as pastors. The places visited use these trips to highlight their successes, history, and culture on an international stage.

Traffic Perimeter for Pope's Visit

Security measures in 2015 were far more robust than in 1979. The first papal visit had no secure vehicle perimeter to block traffic, nor was there screening of visitors with magnetometers or high fences severely restricting access to the principal papal venues. The 2015 visit, designated a National Special Security Event by the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security, led authorities to implement unprecedented travel restrictions, criticized by some as excessive. These measures included closing the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the Vine Street Expressway, and large stretches of the Schuylkill Expressway to private vehicles and preventing incoming traffic into the three-square-mile papal security perimeter, shown here, for the entire weekend.

Historic Visit

This postcard peddled by a vendor on Market Street, anticipated the arrival of Pope Francis at Independence Hall, where he spoke about immigration and religious freedom.

Related Topics

• Holy Experiment
• Philadelphia and the World
• Philadelphia and the Nation
• Philadelphia, the Place that Loves You Back
• City of Brotherly Love

Time Periods

• Twenty-First Century
• Twentieth Century after 1945
• Center City Philadelphia
• Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
• Roman Catholic Parishes
• Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Missionaries

Related Reading

Ivereigh, Austen. The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope .  New York: Henry Holt, 2014.

Pilgrim of Peace: The Homilies and Addresses of His Holiness Pope John Paul II on the Occasion of His Visit to the United States of America .  Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 1979.

Simon, Roger D.  Philadelphia: A Brief History . Harrisburg, Pa.: Huggins Printing Co., 2003.

Walsh, Mary Ann, ed. John Paul II: A Light for the World . New York: Sheed & Ward, 2003.

Weigel, George. A Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II . New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

Weigley, Russell F, ed.  Philadelphia: A 300-Year History . New York: W.W. Norton, 1982.

Related Collections

Papal Visit-John Paul II 1979 Collection, Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center , 100 E. Wynnewood Road, Wynnewood, Pa.

Related Places

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul , Eighteenth Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia.

Independence Hall , Chestnut Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets, Philadelphia.

St. Charles Borromeo Seminary , 100 Wynnewood Rd., Wynnewood, Pa.

Temporary exhibits related to 2015 visit of Pope Francis ( listed by Philly.com ).

Backgrounders

Connecting Headlines with History

• Pope In Philly: FAQ (WHYY, July 13, 2015)
• PATCO readies rail passes for pope's visit (WHYY, July 16, 2015)
• Welcome Pope banner unveiled at cathedral (WHYY, July 29, 2015)
• Prison workshop crafting chair for Pope Francis (WHYY, August 24, 2015)
• Bike enthusiast plans a "pope ride" (WHYY, August 26, 2015)
• Papal tickets revive interest in visit for some suburban parishes (WHYY, September 7, 2015)
• SEPTA offering more subway stops for pope weekend and credits to monthly pass holders (WHYY, September 8, 2015)
• Philly side hustle will be on full display during papal visit (WHYY, September 17, 2015)
• Five things Philly officials learned from Pope Francis' visit (WHYY, November 11, 2015)
• Philadelphia to absorb $8 million in papal costs (WHYY, December 3, 2015)
• Security, vending plans for DNC convention differ from papal preparations (WHYY, March 28, 2016)
• New housing facility in the name of Pope Francis opens in Philadelphia (WHYY, May 4, 2016)
• Philly Orchestra sues for unpaid $70K bill from papal performances (WHYY, October 27, 2016)
• Extravaganzas and inconveniences: Philly becoming host with the most (WHYY, May 1, 2017)
• Schedule: 2015 Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to the United States of America
• For Teachers: The Vatican and Social Change: The Pope Visits Philadelphia (Historical Society of Pennsylvania)
• World Meeting of Families 2015
• Papal Visit Playbook (World Meeting of Families)
• A Hope For The Pope Under The Gold Dome (Hidden City Philadelphia)
• The Pope 2015 Visit to Philadelphia (Collection from Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, Philly.com)
• The Holy See
• Archdiocese of Philadelphia
• Catholic News Service
• Ticketed Areas for Pope's Visit (Philly.com, September 3, 2015)
• Papal parade plans released after public outcry over required tickets (Philly.com, September 4, 2015)
• Address of the Holy Father at Independence Hall (The Holy See)

Connecting the Past with the Present, Building Community, Creating a Legacy

Pope Francis will head to Asia and Oceania in September for his longest foreign trip yet

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore from Sept. 2 to 13.

The news came in a statement from Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See’s press office, who said the pope “will undertake an Apostolic Journey” to these four countries at “the invitation of the respective Heads of State and Church Authorities.”

It will be Francis’ 45th foreign trip since becoming pope on March 13, 2013, and the longest he has undertaken to date—a total of 12 days. He has already visited 61 countries.

This would be a demanding trip, even for a younger man. Francis turned 87 in December and has had mobility issues in recent years, but he is determined to travel.

Mr. Bruni only gave a basic outline of the papal journey and said a more detailed program would be provided later.

Pope Francis will visit Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia with a population of around 11 million people, Sept. 3 to 6. Indonesia is a country of almost 280 million people with the largest Muslim population in the world. There are more than eight million Catholics in the country. He will be the third pope to visit the country. Paul VI went there in 1970; John Paul II went there in 1989 and also visited Dili in Timor-Leste, then under Indonesian occupation.

From Jakarta, he will travel to Papua New Guinea, a country in Oceania with a population of 10.5 million people, 32 percent of whom are Catholic. He will stay there from Sept. 6 to 9 and visit two cities: Port Moresby, the capital, and Vanimo, a city in the north-westernmost part of Papua New Guinea on a peninsula close to the Indonesian border. He will be the second pope to visit Papua New Guinea after John Paul II, who traveled there in 1984.

He will fly from there to Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, from Sept. 9 to 11. Timor-Leste is the most Catholic country in Asia—97 percent of its 1.4 million population is Catholic, and the people there have long wanted Francis to visit. He will be the first pope to travel to the country since it gained independence in 2002.

He will conclude this long journey with a visit to Singapore, an island country and city-state in southeast Asia, from Sept. 11 to 13. Singapore has a population of six million people, of whom around 395,000 are Catholic, about 3 percent of the population. He will be the second pope to visit there; John Paul II visited in 1986.

Francis has looked especially to Asia since the beginning of his pontificate. Following in the footsteps of the first Jesuits, he identified the continent, where two-thirds of humanity lives, as a priority for evangelization, a part of the world that could offer a new springtime to the church. He has already made five journeys to Asia. The countries he has visited to date include South Korea (2014); Sri Lanka and the Philippines (2015); Myanmar and Bangladesh (2017); Thailand and Japan (2019); Kazakhstan (2022); and Mongolia (2023).

Vietnam is not listed among the countries that Francis will visit on this trip to Asia and Oceania, though he has received an invitation from the president of the country and from its bishops’ conference, but it is known that Francis wants to go there, too, and some sources think he could do so in 2025.

Gerard O’Connell is America ’s Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History . He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.

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Pope Francis set to travel across Asia in longest trip of papacy

P ope Francis will visit Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Singapore in September, the Vatican has announced, confirming the longest trip of Francis’ papacy that is sure to test his health, stamina and mobility.

The Vatican confirmed the September 2-13 visit, saying the 87-year-old pope would visit Jakarta, Indonesia; Port Moresby and Vanimo, Papua New Guinea; Dili, East Timor; and Singapore.

Further details will be announced later.

Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, had to cancel a planned visit to Dubai late last year after he came down with a bad case of bronchitis.

He suffered from respiratory problems all winter and had to curtail his participation in Holy Week events to save his energy for Easter.

Francis has also been using a wheelchair for nearly two years because of bad knee ligaments, and has said that traveling has become increasingly more difficult.

And yet at 11 days, the trip would be the longest of Francis’ papacy, outpacing by a few days some of his long trips to the Americas early on in his 11-year papacy.

It will bring the Argentine Jesuit to the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia, as well as the former Portuguese colony of East Timor, where the Catholic Church wields enormous influence.

There is also a chance of another leg to the trip being added later – this week, the Vatican foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, was in Vietnam and discussed a papal visit, Vatican News reported, without providing details.

In a statement announcing the visit, the Indonesian foreign ministry welcomed the visit and recalled that it had originally been scheduled for 2020 but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The visit of Pope Francis to Indonesia holds significant importance to the Indonesian people, not only for Catholics but also for all religious communities. The visit is also expected to strengthen the message of tolerance, unity and world peace,” the statement said.

Indonesia is home to roughly 242 million Muslims and 29 million Christians — 8.5 million of whom are Catholics — according to a 2022 report by the Religious Affairs Ministry.

East Timor, which today has a population of about 1.2 million people, is Southeast Asia’s only predominantly Christian nation with the exception of the Philippines. According to the 2015 census, 97.6% of East Timor’s population is Catholic.

The visit to East Timor will likely reignite attention over a clergy sex abuse scandal involving its revered independence hero and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

The Vatican confirmed in 2022 that it had sanctioned Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo following allegations that he sexually abused boys there during the 1990s. Belo is believed to now be living in Portugal.

Francis will also be the first pope to visit Papua New Guinea since St John Paul II travelled there in 1984. The country, in a strategically important part of the South Pacific, has struggled with tribal violence and civil unrest.

John Paul also visited Singapore in 1986. The country today is home to 395,000 Catholics and Francis in 2022 made its archbishop Singapore’s first cardinal.

In a statement welcoming the visit, Cardinal William Goh, said it “will bring renewed fervour to all Catholics in Singapore, uniting them in faith and mission, especially in these most challenging of times.”

The Vatican has planned only one other papal trip this year — to Belgium to celebrate the anniversary of the country’s Catholic university. Francis has also said he wants to return to his native Argentina, but no plans or dates have been announced.