“Yes, a Popemobile is coming — and all of us who want to see him are going to have a chance to see him.”
With these exuberant words, Cardinal Donald Wuerl shared details of Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the District, which is part of a lengthy trip that starts in Cuba, includes Manhattan, and ends in Philadelphia.
The Vatican on Tuesday released the itinerary for the pontiff’s September visit to the United States. Francis kicks off the U.S. leg of his trip by visiting President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House on Sept. 23, where he will offer remarks on the South Lawn.
From there, he will meet with U.S. bishops at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in the District, and that afternoon, celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in the District. He is expected there to canonize the Rev. Junipero Serra, who is credited with bringing Christianity to California and nearby areas in Mexico.
“The Holy Father’s immense popularity” is already reflected in deluge of requests about his visit to the District — “everybody wants to be a part of the visit,” Cardinal Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, said Tuesday.
“He speaks in such an inviting way,” the archbishop said. “He keeps reminding all of us that there’s a spiritual dimension to our lives, that all of us have the possibility of a living relationship with God.”
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Prior to coming to D.C., Francis will spend three days in Cuba — a move that stems from Francis’ earlier efforts to create a diplomatic breakthrough between the U.S. and the Communist-run island 90 miles south of Florida.
On Sept. 20, Francis is scheduled to celebrate Sunday Mass in Havana’s Revolution Square and later meet with Cuban President Raul Castro and Catholic clergy. On Sept. 21, he will travel to Holguin and later to Santiago to bless the two Cuban cities, hold religious services and meet with faithful.
Francis is scheduled to become the first pope to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress, on Sept. 24.
House Speaker John A. Boehner, who in March invited the pope to speak to Congress, said Tuesday that “it is with humility and deep gratitude that we will welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to the U.S. Capitol in September for a Joint Meeting of Congress.”
“His visit to the U.S. Capitol is unprecedented, and it is with open ears and hearts that we will welcome his address to the Congress,” said Mr. Boehner, who is Catholic along with another 31 percent of the members of Congress.
Francis will then travel to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Northwest Washington to meet with the local ministry.
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“I keep saying this out loud, but it still seems unbelievable: Pope Francis will visit our clients, staff and supporters in person,” Monsignor John Enzler, president and chief executive of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, said Tuesday.
“Pope Francis has called for a ’Church in the streets,’” he added, “and that’s exactly what we are at Catholic Charities.”
That afternoon, Francis will depart Washington and fly to New York City, where he will hold an evening prayer vigil at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.
On Sept. 25, the pope will go to the United Nations to address world leaders. This papal appearance follows in the steps of Paul VI, St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI; Francis is expected to speak about Laudato Si, his recent encyclical about the environment.
Francis will also travel to ground zero — the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center — and join in an interfaith prayer service.
Later in the day, the pope will visit a Catholic elementary school in East Harlem, and end the day with a Mass in Madison Square Garden.
By the morning of Sept. 26, the pope will be in Philadelphia, where the World Meeting of Families is being held. He will hold a morning Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, and later offer an address on religious liberty at Independence Mall. At night, he will visit the Festival of Families and prayer vigil at Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
On Sunday morning, he will meet with bishops attending the World Meeting of Families, and then go to Philadelphia Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility to meet with inmates. In the afternoon, Francis will celebrate the closing Mass at the World Meeting of Families.
He will depart for Rome later that night.
Unlike other pontiffs, Francis has not scheduled a meeting with Jewish leaders. However, Francis has very close relations with U.S. Jewish groups and is known to add meeting to his schedule during foreign trips. An unannounced encounter with victims of priestly sexual abuse is also a possibility — something Pope Benedict did during his 2008 visit.
⦁ S.A. Miller contributed to this article, which is also based on wire service reports.
• Cheryl Wetzstein can be reached at cwetzstein@washingtontimes.com.
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