UNITED STATES
CBS Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Pope Francis’ six-day, three-city tour of the U.S. this week evolved from a pledge he made last fall to attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
Stops in Washington and New York were added after Francis put the triennial, Vatican-sponsored conference on his agenda. It opens Tuesday.
Organizers describe the conference that blends prayer, religious instruction and faith-themed lectures as the world’s largest gathering of Catholic families.
With more than 18,000 people signed up, this year’s will be the most attended of the eight World Meetings.
Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired Archbishop of Los Angeles, will be traveling with the Pope when he meets with President Obama and speaks to Congress.
Mahony told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO audiences can expect to hear some frank words from this unconventional leader of the Catholic Church.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.