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Nov 12, 2007 8:08 pm US/Eastern
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Pope Benedict To Visit Ground Zero
Pontiff Also To Lead Public Mass At Yankee Stadium
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
As CBS 2 HD first reported in April, Pope Benedict XVI will visit New York City during his first trip to the United States, and plans for the visit include a stop at ground zero before leading a public Mass at Yankee Stadium.
Archbishop Pietro Sambi told the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Monday that Benedict will travel to Washington and New York from April 15-20.
On April 18, the pope will address the United Nations and participate in an ecumenical service at a New York parish, according to the Archdiocese of New York.
A morning Mass with priests, deacons and members of religious orders will be held on April 19 in Saint Patrick's Cathedral, followed by a visit to Saint Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, where the Pope will participate in an event with youth and young people.
Pope Benedict will spend his last day in New York by visiting ground zero, and by celebrating the Mass in Yankee Stadium.
The pope will visit the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York to show "solidarity with those who have died, with their families and with all those who wish an end of violence and in the search of peace," said Sambi, the Vatican's ambassador to the U.S.
"I'm not surprised. If anything I'm surprised he hasn't been here sooner. This is a place that everybody should come to," said Lisa Broman, who was visiting ground zero herself on Monday.
The visit will take place on the third anniversary of Benedict's election to succeed Pope John Paul II, who died in April 2005.
And while John Paull II was loved by the masses, this pope is not nearly as well known.
"I'm Catholic, I know his name, I don't know what he professes," said parishioner James Murphy.
So this visit will let America get to know this intellect of German descent.
"I know Pope John had some platforms that didn't go over well with the American Catholic church so I guess that will definitely help a lot," said parishioner Michael Nuckowski.
An official welcome reception for Benedict will be held at the White House on April 16, Sambi said.
"The pope will not travel much, but he will address himself to the people of the United States and the whole Catholic Church," Sambi said.
"This is a big deal. This is only the third pope who's ever traveled to New York," said Father Philip Judge fo St. Regis High School.
The last papal visit to New York City came when Pope John Paul II visited the U.N. headquarters in Oct. 1995 to speak about human rights at the 50th anniversary celebration of the organization.
Once in the city, he met with President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton. He later celebrated Mass at Giants Stadium in front of an estimated crowd of 80,000, as well as at Aqueduct Race Track in Queens before 75,000 attendees.
He led Mass again during the trip on Central Park's Great Lawn with an estimated 125,000 in attendance.
John Paul II had also visited the U.N. headquarters in 1979, and while in the city he celebrated Mass in front of an estimated 80,000 people at Yankee Stadium, while also preaching to another 70,000 at Shea Stadium. He also spoke at Madison Square Garden and made stops at the St. Charles Borromeo Church in Harlem, Christopher Court housing development in the Bronx and Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx.
Pope Paul VI visited the city in 1965 when he too came to address the U.N. During that visit, he also met with President Lyndon Johnson at the Waldorf, and addressed a crowd of more than 90,000 at Yankee Stadium.
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