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Will Pope Francis' visit end in disaster? Residents say organizers don't have their act together

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Stores are having trouble deciding if it's better to stay open or close.

Philadelphia residents are stressing over the upcoming Papal visit, and for good reason. Preparations for the visit appear ad hoc and are being poorly communicated to the community, according to locals.

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Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
9/1/2015 (8 years ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Pope Francis, Philadelphia, pilgrims, food, stores, residents, cars, travel

LOA ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Will Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia end in disaster? It's possible, at least for a number of residents who are being inconvenienced by the holy event. Store owners are still debating if they should be open or closed as concerns about supply and demand force many to weigh the pros and cons of catering to a crush of two million visitors.

The city has replied by launching the "I'll Be There" campaign for shops in the city center. Business owners are being encouraged to pledge that they'll be open and stay open during the visit of Pope Francis.


While vendors are worried about being overrun and restocking their shelves, or conversely, overstocking and losing money on perishables, event planners are worried about pilgrims having access to everything they need.

Pilgrims won't just need food, but they'll need medicine, pads for shoes and blisters. They'll need toiletries and charging cables for phones. Many will literally be camping out, so they'll want ice for ice chests, jackets and blankets for the evenings, and more.

They'll also have to use the restroom.

Some shopkeepers don't think they can handle the traffic and they're already planning to close. Cleaning a bathroom after it's been used by hundreds of visitors is going to take some time. Restocking shelves stripped of product could take hours. In fact, getting the product in, on a hunch that it will actually sell, is a gamble some don't want to take.

Residents whose homes are impacted by the weekend driving ban, and whose streets and sidewalks will be overrun by pilgrims aren't happy either. Pets will be stressed, the noise level will be high, and many will find it difficult to relax. Catholic pilgrims aren't criminals or thugs, but accidents and carelessness can damage front property and cars parked along the street.

The city has produced a guide, called the "Papal Playbook" which advised residents how to survive the weekend without stress.

There are also legitimate security concerns. Every person admitted to celebrate Mass with Pope Francis will have to pass through two rings of security, and will be searched at least once. Not all of the two million pilgrims will get into the Mass, but many thousands will and it will require a feat of logistics to get everyone in on time.

Many local residents are coping by leaving. The city has a population of 1.5 million and it will double within the span of several hours on Friday. Locals who are less than thrilled about the visit will depart for weekend getaways, thus avoiding the crowds.

As for the pilgrims, they are on their own. Most will find welcoming stores and vendors who have been contracted to supply their needs, although the prices they pay will be surprisingly high. They are sleeping wherever they can from parish halls to friendly houses and even at the Philadelphia zoo.

Pilgrims will have to wait in long queues for restrooms during peak times, and they'll need limber feet to walk from one event to the other.

The upcoming visit is Pope Francis' first time in the United States. His visit is expected to make an impact on public discourse especially as rival political campaigns fire up for next year's elections. Pope Francis has already made it known he will stay on the topic of families, and will not engage in political discourse, but every pundit will be listening and they will find ways to co-opt his message.

The papal visit will be a time of challenge and opportunity for all, especially those who live and work in Philadelphia.

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