Property’s Photo of the Week: A Moment of Serenity in the Popeadelphia Craze

Take it from someone who’s seen him twice: Relax. It's going to be really cool.

A photo posted by Mittul (@mittul_) on

In nine weeks, Pope Francis will be in Philadelphia.

From the day he arrives to the day he leaves (check out his two-day itinerary here), he’ll step foot in vastly dissimilar buildings and spaces in the city, among them the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and PaulIndependence Mall, and the Curran-Fromhold Correction Facility. It’s with this spirit of anticipation for this once-in-a-lifetime event that we’ve selected this #phillyscape shot taken inside the Cathedral Basilica on the Parkway.

It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, the “urban pontificate” will have to say about Philadelphia in the hours after his visit comes to an end. So far, it’s been off to a somewhat shaky start with questions centering around whether the city can handle the challenge of such an unprecedented event. Will we be able to transport the crowds to and from their destinations? Will we make a good impression with the Pope and the visitors he brings?

Relax, it’s going to be amazing.

Take it from someone who’s seen him twice (yeah, how many atheist randos from Northeast Philly can say they’ve seen Pope Francis in the flesh twice before and have it be true?): all the nitty gritty details (which are being sorted out by people whose job it is to sort out such things) and whether they’re working or not will fall by the wayside when you’re actually in a crowd that’s just as drunk with amazement as you are. It’s a really cool and surprisingly serene experience and I hope to get a third glimpse of the guy.

Here’s a a clip from when I was standing in St. Peter’s Square when they announced Jorge Mario Bergoglio was chosen as the new pope. Take it as a mini preview (really mini) of September 26th (my birthday!) and 27th.

(Side story: My uncle was part of Pope John Paul II‘s security detail during his visit to Peru in the eighties. He’s now a correctional officer at CFCF, the prison facility Pope Francis is visiting in Northeast Philadelphia. What are the odds?)

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