Pope Francis kicked off a busy day Friday with a forceful address to the United Nations. Francis presented himself as a champion of the poor, and he suggested solutions for leaders to adopt to combat war, environmental destruction and poverty.
Francis said the selfish pursuit of power and wealth is hurting the environment and the poor.
“A selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged,” Francis said.
For the first time, the flag of the Holy See was raised in front of the United Nations alongside those of the 193 official member states.
The address to the United Nations was just the start of the day. Here’s what else to watch for Friday.
1. Praying at ground zero
Francis will visit scarred and sacred ground in New York, holding an interfaith prayer service with Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus.
The Pope’s prayerful visit, Imam Sayyid M. Syeed told Religion News Service, “is even more important for Muslims than it is for Catholics.”
Francis then will meet with family members of victims killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
2. Central Park
Blink and you may miss him. Don’t have tickets, and you will definitely miss him — unless you tune into CNN, that is.
In place of the famed, horse-drawn carriages, Francis will take a quick spin through Central Park in the Popemobile.
This being New York, scalpers are already pricing tickets at $100.
3. The Pope’s favorite school?
Francis will be the first pope to visit Our Lady Queen of Angels School in East Harlem on Friday.
The stop at the school, with 295 mostly Latino and black children, is in line with Francis’ mission of serving immigrants, the marginalized and the poor.
The Pope is scheduled to meet two dozen students from four Catholic elementary schools, including six third- and fourth-graders from Our Lady Queen of Angels.
Francis also will meet migrants and refugees from Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, India, Pakistan and Africa.
They will include day laborers, immigrant mothers, car wash workers and unaccompanied minors who crossed the border without their parents and helped start a soccer league in the Bronx.
“This is his most important stop,” said Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, executive director of Catholic Charities.
4. A rock star setting
Francis has already received a rock star welcome, and on Friday night, he’ll find himself in a rock star setting.
Francis is slated to celebrate Mass in Madison Square Garden, home to sporting events, concerts and other shows. Madison Square Garden is the fourth-busiest music arena in the world based on ticket sales, and it can hold 20,000 people.
Francis’ visit bumped a Billy Joel concert originally slated for Friday night to Saturday.
The Pope’s opening acts are pretty good, too: Jennifer Hudson, Harry Connick Jr. and Gloria Estefan.