Pope Francis is coming to the Big Apple.
The pope, who already announced plans to travel to Philadelphia this fall, will also make stops in New York City and Washington, D.C., as part of his first United States tour, according to news reports.
Pope Francis’ inaugural New York City visit in September is rumored to include a Mass at Madison Square Garden, a stop at Ground Zero, and a visit to the United Nations, where he would address the UN General Assembly. Pope Francis may also make an appearance at the White House and Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
“He would arrive on the 22nd and he would leave the evening of the 27th. It’s really a full six days, plus the travel, so it’s really one week,” Archbishop Bernardito Auza told the Catholic News Agency. Auza is a member of Pope Francis’ organizing committee for his U.S. visit.
The pope announced his first United States trip last year. His only confirmed destination was Philadelphia, which will be hosting the World Meeting of Families, a week-long event that takes place every three years.
If Pope Francis’ approval rating is any indication, he’ll have plenty of adoring fans waiting to welcome him upon his first visit to the US.
A poll conducted by Saint Leo University in December found that Pope Francis enjoys immense support among US Catholics: 88 percent approve of the job he’s done. While it’s no surprise that Catholics overwhelmingly approve of their pope, it appears Pope Francis transcends religion; he holds a 61-percent approval rating among non-Catholics.
Pope Francis is coming off a record-breaking mass in the Philippines, which 6 million people attended, according to reports.
