Mexico City prepares for Pope Francis' visit
The people of Mexico City are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Pope Francis, who will arrive Friday after a brief stop in Cuba.
Feb 13, 2016
MEXICO CITY: The people of Mexico City are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Pope Francis, who will arrive Friday after a brief stop in Cuba.
The pope and his entourage departed Friday morning from Rome's airport. Aboard the plane headed to Cuba, he donned a traditional Mexican sombrero hat he received as a gift by a Mexican journalist.
His first stop is Havana's airport, where Francis met for a short time with the head of the Russian Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill, in a ground-breaking step toward improving Catholic-Orthodox relations.
"Finally!" Francis exclaimed as he embraced Kirill in the small, wood-paneled VIP room of Havana's airport, where the three-hour encounter was taking place. "We are brothers."
They kissed one another three times on the cheek, and Kirill told the pope through an interpreter: "Now things are easier."
After the meeting, Francis will arrive in Mexico around 7:30 p.m. local time. There, he will see two full days of activities, including a meeting with city leaders in the National Auditorium on Sunday as well as a quick speech.
On Saturday, the pope will hold a Mass at Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe. The roads leading up to the famed church is already surrounded by railings in preparation for the pope's arrival. Jane Vargas traveled all the way from Mason, Texas, and already staked out her spot behind the railing in hopes to get a glimpse of the pope. She said this is her first time away from Texas and described the trip as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Monday will be another full day with lots of travel. He will fly from Mexico City to Tuxtla Gutierrez. From there, he will board a helicopter and head to San Cristobal de las Casas. He will then get back on the helicopter and return to Tuxtla Gutierrez, and then board a plane back to Mexico City.
Tuesday, the pope will fly from Mexico City to Morelia and return to Mexico City. Wednesday is a big one - he will fly from Mexico City to Ciudad Juarez, where he will hold a huge Mass on the border. The pope's Mass in Mexico will occur simultaneously with another Mass in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
Francis will be heading back to Rome on Wednesday.--abc7
The pope and his entourage departed Friday morning from Rome's airport. Aboard the plane headed to Cuba, he donned a traditional Mexican sombrero hat he received as a gift by a Mexican journalist.
His first stop is Havana's airport, where Francis met for a short time with the head of the Russian Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill, in a ground-breaking step toward improving Catholic-Orthodox relations.
"Finally!" Francis exclaimed as he embraced Kirill in the small, wood-paneled VIP room of Havana's airport, where the three-hour encounter was taking place. "We are brothers."
They kissed one another three times on the cheek, and Kirill told the pope through an interpreter: "Now things are easier."
After the meeting, Francis will arrive in Mexico around 7:30 p.m. local time. There, he will see two full days of activities, including a meeting with city leaders in the National Auditorium on Sunday as well as a quick speech.
On Saturday, the pope will hold a Mass at Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe. The roads leading up to the famed church is already surrounded by railings in preparation for the pope's arrival. Jane Vargas traveled all the way from Mason, Texas, and already staked out her spot behind the railing in hopes to get a glimpse of the pope. She said this is her first time away from Texas and described the trip as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Monday will be another full day with lots of travel. He will fly from Mexico City to Tuxtla Gutierrez. From there, he will board a helicopter and head to San Cristobal de las Casas. He will then get back on the helicopter and return to Tuxtla Gutierrez, and then board a plane back to Mexico City.
Tuesday, the pope will fly from Mexico City to Morelia and return to Mexico City. Wednesday is a big one - he will fly from Mexico City to Ciudad Juarez, where he will hold a huge Mass on the border. The pope's Mass in Mexico will occur simultaneously with another Mass in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
Francis will be heading back to Rome on Wednesday.--abc7
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