The Vatican’s envoy to the United Nations strongly hinted that Pope Francis would visit New York next year to address world leaders at the General Assembly, saying on Thursday that the coming 70th anniversary of the world body would be “the ideal time”.
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the permanent observer of the Holy See, also told the Associated Press that “if he comes to Philadelphia, he will come to New York”.
Pope Francis in August confirmed that he wants to visit the United States in 2015 and that he would like to go to Philadelphia for a family rally. The pope added that he has also been invited by President Barack Obama and Congress and by the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon.
Auza spoke on Thursday about a coming exhibition of centuries-old manuscripts related to St Francis of Assisi that will be on display later this month at the United Nations and then in Brooklyn. Pope Francis, a Jesuit from Argentina, was the first to name himself after the 13th-century friar who gave up his wealth to minister to the poor.
“Everybody hopes that this exhibition of St Francis would be a kind of an announcement” of a papal visit, Auza said.
Then he dropped another hint, comparing the rare exhibition to the Vatican’s loaning of the Michelangelo masterpiece Pietà for a popular World’s Fair exhibit in New York in 1964 – which was followed months later by the first visit by a reigning pope to the US.
Pope Paul VI addressed the UN on that historic visit.
“We hope this same sense of celebration will take place this time,” Auza said of the new exhibition. He added that it is likely that only the pope himself will make an official announcement of his travel plans.
The manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries are set to arrive on Friday and will be on display at the UN from from 17 to 28 November.
“We think the exhibition could be a good presentation of the message the pope will give us in September 2015,” when the annual UN General Assembly of world leaders meets, said Natalia Quintavalle, the consul general of Italy in New York.
Source: www.theguardian.com
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