Pope Francis Leads Mass For 20,000 At Madison Square Garden During NYC Trip

Pope Francis addressed a crowd of 20,000 people at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where he led a Mass during his busy trip to Manhattan.

Pope Francis Leads Mass At MSG

New Yorkers lined up around many blocks for a chance to see the Pope at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Sept. 25. Pope Francis led a Mass with a homily in Spanish, his native language, and spoke to the crowd about faith, life in the city and the plight of the poor and immigrants and refugees.

“In big cities, beneath the roar of traffic, beneath ‘the rapid pace of change,’ so many faces pass by unnoticed because they have no ‘right’ to be here, no right to be part of the city. They are the foreigners, the children who go without schooling, those deprived of medical insurance, the homeless, the forgotten elderly,” he said.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, head of the New York Archdiocese, was also in attendance. He took the stage after Pope Francis to thank him for stopping through New York City during his U.S. trip. Prior to the Pope’s arrival, attendees were also treated to religious performances by Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Hudson and Harry Connick Jr., among others.

Madison Square Garden was just one stop in Pope Francis’ whirlwind day in New York City. Francis also addressed the United Nations General Assembly before visiting the 9/11 Memorial and participate in a multi-faith service. He also stopped by Central Park to greet admirers and fans.