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[h=4]Thousands flood Philly as Pope Francis' U.S. visit comes to a close[/h]Pope Francis will wrap up his visit to Philadelphia by celebrating Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
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Addressing bishops from around the world gathered in Philadelphia, Pope Francis said the stories of children sexually abuse by clergy weigh heavy on his heart and mind. He said "God weeps" over them. VPC
People cheer as they gather along Benjamin Franklin Parkway ahead of a Mass to be led by Pope Francis on Sept. 27, 2015 in Philadelphia.(Photo: Carl Court, Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA — Hundreds<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of thousands of people were flooding the City of Brotherly Love<span style="color: Red;">*</span>on Sunday to see Pope Francis celebrate Mass, the culminating moment of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>his historic six-day visit to the U.S.
The Mass, which Francis will celebrate<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a stone's throw away from the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is expected to draw as many as 1 million participants.
Catholics, as well as non-Catholics who are simply fans of "the people's pope," began flooding the parkway early Sunday morning in hopes of landing a prime spot. The parkway, an iconic thoroughfare, was dotted with big screens. Much of Philadelphia's Center City has been shuttered to traffic since Friday to prepare for this final public event of Francis' tour.
"We are having a blessed time," said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Maureen Cobb, 65, retired teacher from Canal Winchester, Ohio.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"The weather is beautiful, the people are beautiful. All these Christians who want to celebrate the good news of Jesus Christ."
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Tom Delesandro, 33, a teacher from Rockledge, Pa., was on the Parkway with his mother, wife and 16-month-old daughter, Ava.
"We just wanted to take all this in," he said with Ava in his arms. "This is an amazing day, a once or twice in a lifetime opportunity. I'm just hoping my daughter can catch a glimpse of the pope."
Denese Sadowski's journey to see Pope Francis began early Sunday morning in Brandywine, Pa., but ended in disappointment in Center City<span style="color: Red;">*</span>where crowds overwhelmed one of 15 security checkpoints into the papal Mass..
Sadowski, a business analyst, had a ticket that would have given access to the pontiff's parade route and possibly a view of the altar where the pope will celebrate mass. But by 2 pm, she had resigned herself to watching the mass on one of 40 giant screens<span style="color: Red;">*</span>scattered through the downtown.
"It's an experience. And even if I don't get in, I'm happy to be here," she said. "I love him. I think he's very modernized and I hope he'll bring more people to the Catholic Church."
Ben Burchett and Rosa Paulin,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of Lexington, Ky., decided to make a last-minute trip to Philadelphia to be part of the pope's visit.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>They also hoped to catch his<span style="color: Red;">*</span>attention.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Armed with a cardboard sign saying "Marry Us" Burchett and Paulin, both 25, came to Philadelphia<span style="color: Red;">*</span>hoping Francis would see the sign and marry them on the spot. They plan to get as close as possible to the ticketed area where he will be conducting Mass.
"We made a serious deal," Paulin said. "If the pope will marry us, we'll get married."
USA TODAY
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Ahead of the Mass, Francis made an unscheduled stop at Saint Joseph’s University to view a newly-dedicated statue commemorating the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, a Vatican II document that helped bolster the relationship between the Catholic and Jewish faiths.
The document highlighted the historic bond between the two faiths and dismissed past efforts by the Church to convert Jews. Saint Joseph’s, a Jesuit university, established the Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations in 1967 in response to the Vatican call of strengthening the interfaith relationship.
Earlier Sunday, Francis<span style="color: Red;">*</span>met privately with a group of clergy sex abuse victims and vowed<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Catholic Church would provide "careful oversight" to protect young believers in the future.
In remarks to bishops from around the globe, Francis said "grievous harm" has been<span style="color: Red;">*</span>caused by the clergy sex abuse scandal that has marred the church for more than a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>decade.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The pontiff, who spoke to the victims in Spanish with an English translator by his side,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>promised to hold those responsible for such offenses accountable.
USA TODAY
Pope's vow to hold clergy accountable for abuse draws disdain, praise
"I remain overwhelmed with shame that men entrusted with the tender care of children violated these little ones and caused grievous harm," he added.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"I am profoundly sorry. God weeps."
The Vatican said Francis met with five adult victims<span style="color: Red;">*</span>—<span style="color: Red;">*</span>three women and two men<span style="color: Red;">*</span>—<span style="color: Red;">*</span>who were abused<span style="color: Red;">*</span>by clergy, family members or teachers when they were minors. Each victim<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was accompanied by a family member or another supporter.
USA TODAY
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"The pope spoke with visitors, listening to their stories and offering them a few words together as a group and later listening to each one individually," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a statement. "He then prayed with them and expressed his solidarity in sharing their suffering, as well as his own pain and shame, especially in the case of injury caused them by clergy or church workers."
Allegations of sexual abuse by priests date back decades, but exploded into a crisis for the church in the U.S. more than 10 years ago following media reports<span style="color: Red;">*</span>detailing a litany of abuses and cover-ups by American<span style="color: Red;">*</span>bishops.
USA TODAY
Pope Francis in America
Ramon Mendoza, right, and his wife Lidia Vega, of Camden, N.J., walk over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge ahead of a Sunday Mass to be delivered by Pope Francis, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, in Philadelphia. Pope Francis celebrates a climactic outdoor Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Sunday before flying back to Rome.<span style="color: Red;">*</span> Julio Cortez, AP
Bellatrix, right, has her costume adjusted by owner Ashley Spann while posing for photos for pedestrians with Addie, left, and owner Emily Mariani, right, outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, host of the World Meeting of Families conference, Sept. 25, 2015, in Philadelphia.<span style="color: Red;">*</span> David Goldman, AP
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Pope bids NYC farewell, heads for excited Philly
In his address to bishops, Francis focused on the difficulties of supporting the family structure in a rapidly changing world.
"Needless to say, our understanding, shaped by the interplay of ecclesial faith and the conjugal experience of sacramental grace, must not lead us to disregard the unprecedented changes taking place in contemporary society, with their social, cultural – and now juridical – effects on family bonds," Francis said. "These changes affect all of us, believers and non-believers alike. Christians are not 'immune' to the changes of their times."
USA TODAY
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Francis also visited the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, where he met with dozens of inmates. The pontiff offered the prisoners — who included suspected murders, rapists and mobsters — words of hope and spoke to them about forgiveness and redemption.
Francis told the inmates that scripture says<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Jesus washed his apostles’ feet at the Last Supper. In the past, the pope has repeated that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>ritual<span style="color: Red;">*</span>—<span style="color: Red;">*</span>washing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the feet of elderly people with disabilities as well young people at a juvenile detention center.
In his remarks at the prison, Francis told the the inmates that they were not alone, intoning that "all of us have something we need to be cleansed of, or purified from."
"The lord goes in search of us,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to all of us he stretches out a helping hand," said Francis, who shook hands with each inmate and offered several blessings. "It is painful when we see prison systems which are not concerned to care for wounds, to soothe pain, to offer new possibilities. It is painful when we see people who think that only others need to be cleansed, purified, and do not recognize that their weariness, pain and wounds are also the weariness, pain and wounds of society."
Francis will depart for the Vatican on Sunday evening. Vice President Biden was scheduled to travel to Philadelphia on Sunday to bid Francis farewell.
USA TODAY
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Contributing:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Meghan Montemurro, The News Journal
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