The Vatican has released a full itinerary for Pope Francis’ Sept. 23–27 trip to the United States, during which the popular pontiff will celebrate Mass in three East Coast cities. The highlights:
- Sept. 23: Mass at the Basilicia of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in D.C.
- Sept. 24: address to Congress.
- Sept. 25: address to the United Nations, “multi-religious service” at 9/11 memorial, Mass at Madison Square Garden.
- Sept. 26 and 27: Mass and appearances at the World Meeting of Families, a triennial Catholic event being held this year in Philadelphia.
A recent Pew survey found that 64 percent of all Americans and 86 percent of American Catholics held favorable views of the pope. He’ll also visit an East Harlem school and a Pennsylvania prison during his trip.
Francis will arrive in the U.S. via Cuba; it’ll be his first trip to the island. In 1998, John Paul II became the first pope to visit Cuba since Castro’s rise to power, and Pope Benedict XVI visited in 2012.
