GO WITH GOD!
Francis leaves NY in joy
Pope Francis enjoyed a whirlwind tour of the city Friday, speaking at the United Nations, attending prayer service at Ground Zero, delighting Catholicschool children in East Harlem and rolling in the popemobile past 80,000 adoring fans in Central Park.
The pontiff capped it off by celebrating Mass before nearly 20,000 faithful at Madison Square Garden, a ceremony both solemn and rich in the colorful pageantry of the Roman Catholic Church.
Dressed in emerald vestments and surrounded on a raised altar by cardinals, bishops and other clergy, the pontiff spoke slowly as he performed the ancient liturgy.
During his homily, he praised large cities like New York for their diversity but also said their size can make people feel alienated unless they allow God to bring them together.
“Living in a big city is not always easy. Yet big cities are a reminder of the hidden riches present in our world, in the diversity of its cultures, traditions and historical experiences. In the variety of its languages, costumes and cuisine,” he said.
“God is living in our cities. The church is living in our cities, and she wants to be like yeast in the dough. She wants to relate to everyone, to stand at everyone’s side, as she proclaims the marvels of the Eternal Father, the Prince of Peace.”
Before the service, Francis made a lap of the arena in a golf cart, to cheers boisterous enough for a Rangers or Knicks game.
Francis grinned, waved and accepted flowers and other gifts.
A bevy of stars gave a rousing, religiousthemed performance.
Gloria Estefan appeared in a sheer black dress and sang “Mas Alla,” while Jennifer Hudson brought down the house with a rendition of “Hallelujah.”
Norm Lewis from Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera” sang a moving version of “Ave Maria,” and Harry Connick Jr. performed “How Great Thou Art” while urging worshippers to sing along.
“What an honor to be here with you all on this journey of faith as we come together to welcome Pope Francis to one of the greater cities on Earth,” Estefan said.
Openly gay TV personality Mo Rocca’s implausible appearance as the first reader of the Mass — in Spanish — sparked a Twitter Hallelujah.
“It is clear how much we welcome you, how much we love you, how much we need you, how much we thank you for your visit,” Timothy Cardinal Dolan told Francis at the end of Mass.
Gov. Cuomo said the pope left him astonished and inspired.
“I’m a lifelong New Yorker and I’ve seen a lot of things, but this is one of the really great moments. The reality was even better than the expectation,” said Cuomo, who followed the pope from event to event.
Earlier Friday, Francis wowed the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who won lottery tickets to see him in Central Park — some who waited more than 12 hours to get past security.
“Oh, my God, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Donna Mina as Francis cruised past in his popemobile. “I will never forget this, ever.”
Francis also visited Our Lady Queen of Angels School in East Harlem, which has a largely Latino student body in the shadow of four public housing projects.
Francis shook hands and touched the heads of the giddy children, who snapped photos and selfies with the pontiff and shrieked with excitement.
Inside, he was serenaded by a group of 24 students from four innercity Catholic schools with a version of “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” which they had been rehearsing for weeks.
“He made me think I was really, really special, like someone he always wanted to meet,” Essa Nahshal, 7, a Muslim thirdgrader, said of holding the pope’s hand and showing him a science project.
Earlier in the day, he addressed the United Nations, where he was applauded by the General Assembly, including Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, after calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
He also demanded respect for all human life and called for recognition of the “natural difference between man and woman” — lines sure to appeal to conservative Catholics.
At the 9/11 Memorial, the pontiff issued a call for peace.
The pope departs Saturday morning for Philadelphia.
Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts, Jennifer Gould Keil, Chris Perez, Rich Calder and Joe Tacopino