Everybody’s favorite pontiff, Pope Francis, will visit Washington DC for three days. Unofficial schedule:
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
4:00 PM: Pope Francis arrives via Alitalia at Joint Base Andrews from Havana, smokes big cigar on the drive from Maryland to the Apostolic Nunciature on Massachusetts Avenue NW.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
9:15 AM: White House Welcoming Ceremony; Pontiff shoots hoops one-on-one with President Obama before posing for pics on the Truman Balcony
11:00 AM: Popemobile Parade along the Ellipse and National Mall; brief stop to buy Astronaut Ice Cream at Air & Space Museum gift shop (mirabile dictu!)
11:30 AM: Midday Prayer with U.S. bishops at historically ugly Saint Matthew’s Cathedral in DC; side trip to the Indiana Jones exhibit at nearby National Geographic Museum. His Holiness will address the bishops in Spanish, and many expect him to “no dejar titere con cabeza” (kick butt).
4:15 PM: Greets Native American demonstrators before celebrating Junipero Serra Canonization Mass — in Spanish — at the East Portico of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Catholic University (leave your selfie stick at home).
Thursday, September 24, 2015
9:20 AM: Speech to Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol (in English); crowds gather to watch it on Jumbotron screens on the National Mall (and listen to Spotify’s Pope Playlist while they’re waiting)
11:00 AM: Brief appearance on West Front of Capitol (possible photo op with former altar boys Biden and Boehner?)
11:15 AM: Visit to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in DC and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, site of the Homeless Jesus sculpture (artist: Timothy P. Schmalz). His Holiness will meet with — and feed — the charities’ clients.
4:00 PM: Departure from Joint Base Andrews for New York City and a decent slice of pizza.
How does the papal visit look to DC-area residents?
“District Braces for Pope’s Visit, With Major Road Closures and Detours Planned,” Andrew Giambrone, Washington City Paper
“Pope’s visit, baseball, concerts add up to a traffic mess in, around D.C.,” Max Smith, WTOP
“Traffic backups of nearly 2 hours possible during the pope’s visit. These alternate routes might help.” Luz Lazo, Washington Post
“Seriously, You Should Not Drive When the Pope Is Here,” Benjamin Freed, Washingtonian
“Roads also closed to bikes, pedestrians during papal visit,” WTOP
“DC Metro bracing for Pope’s visit,” Keith Laing, The Hill
“Devoted to Simplicity, Pope Francis Creates Knotty Logistics With Visit,” Andy Newsman and Vivian Yee, Washington Post
“Here’s How Car Services Are Prepping for the Papal Visit,” Andrew Giambrone, Washington City Paper
“Transit Officials: Try To Telework During Pope’s D.C. Visit,” Martin Di Caro, WAMU News
“OPM tells feds to telework when Pope Francis visits Washington,” Emily Kopp, Federal News Radio
“D.C. hospital warns of traffic delays during pope’s visit,” Sarah Beth Hensley, WTOP
“As Popepocalypse Looms, Food Bank Diverts Its Fleet,” Rachel Sadon, DCist
“During Papal Visit, Pope-Goers May Experience Cell Phone Disruptions,” Andrew Giambrone, Washington City Paper
“Six Reasons Why The Pope’s Visit Will Be A Disaster For DC Residents,” Josh Fatzick, Daily Caller
“Washington to Come to a Halt for Pope, Willingly or Not,” Gardiner Harris, New York Times
___________________
Short Link: http://wp.me/p6sb6-lDH
Top image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not
Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine
Tags: Catholic Church, Catholics, DC, Pope Francis, religion, Roman Catholic Church, special events, Washington DC
NotionsCapital 
Leave a Reply