PHILADELPHIA — Pope Francis made the most of his last day in the United States, packing in appearances both scheduled and unscheduled in Philadelphia on Sunday.
Here’s what he did:
- Met privately with five survivors of sex abuse, promising them that those responsible will be held accountable.
- Spoke to about 300 bishops who had participated in the World Meeting of Families.
- Posed for photo with seminarians to recreate 1979 image that featured Pope John Paul II.
- Met with 100 inmates at a city jail, telling them to use their time behind bars to get their lives back on track.
- Blessed a new statue at Saint Joseph’s University honoring the relationship between Catholics and Jews.
- Traveled in his popemobile along Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway, kissing many babies along the way.
- Visited a “knot grotto,” an art project outside the city’s Roman Catholic cathedral showcasing more than 100,000 knots, each representing a personal hardship or societal challenge.
- Celebrated Mass for hundreds of thousands of people, telling them that everyone should be open to miracles of love for the sake of families around the world.
- Gave farewell speech at airport before his departure to Rome, thanking church leaders and others in Washington and New York for their work to organize his trip.
