America In Realization [11.18.14]

Catholic Church

• Joy in Philadelphia as Pope Confirms U.S. Visit (WSJ)

"Pope Francis confirmed the visit Monday at the Vatican—the first official notice of the hugely popular pontiff’s first visit to U.S. soil. He might also go to the White House and could address the United Nations in New York.The pope’s long-rumored Philadelphia trip will come at the end of the four-day World Meeting of Families, a triennial event described as the largest Catholic gathering of families.
When he visited the Vatican in March, President Barack Obama invited the pope to the White House. Speculation of a possible visit by the pope to other parts of the U.S. has been particularly intense, given his popularity. The Argentina-born pontiff is likely to receive an especially warm welcome from the U.S.’s large Hispanic population.The pope’s strong interest in the plight of migrants has led some to expect that he could visit the U.S.-Mexican border.In his overseas travel so far during his papacy, which began in March 2013, Pope Francis has favored the emerging world. He traveled to the Middle East in May, and his first European trip came in September when he visited Albania, one of the continent’s poorest countries. He is set to go to Turkey next week and to the Philippines and Sri Lanka in January."