Popes Visiting NYC | That Was the News Then: Ep. 19

Did you know there have been just five papal visits to New York City ever

From Pope Paul VI to Pope Francis, each visit has brought a message of hope, unity, and peace to the streets of the Big Apple

Join us as we take a journey through time at how the news covered the Pope's historic visits to New York City

As the world mourns the death of one of the most beloved popes in history

we take a look back at his trip to New York City. Back in 2015, Pope Francis made his first papal visit to the U.S.

with the Big Apple being one of his stops. The pope is spending his final night in New York

He is getting some much-needed rest after another whirlwind day. And the pope wrapped up his stay in New York with a rousing service

at Madison Square Garden. It was a packed house as the Pope celebrated Mass

a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those who were able to go. Our Dan Bowens shows us what made it so special

A truly remarkable experience being inside Madison Square Garden this evening in a word powerful

Pope Francis telling his flock, God is in our cities. For the 20,000 worshipers inside Madison Square Garden

and the millions more watching around the world the arrival of the Holy Father

Pope Francis at times speaking in English, then delivering a powerful homily in native

Spanish focusing on life in big cities. The big cities are a reminder of the hidden riches present in our world

in the diversity of its cultures, traditions, and historical experiences. The pontiff emphasizing compassion for the less fortunate

as he has done so often during his first visit to the United States. There are the foreigners, their children, who go out without schooling

those deprived of medical insurance. the homeless, the forgotten elderly. The message resonating with the flock as attendees here filed out for communion

an inclusive celebration of mass with the universal prayer earlier delivered in Mandarin, English, French, and Italian

A night the world's most famous arena hosted arguably the world's most popular figure

the radiance and joy captured by His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan. At every single mass, every single day, we pray for and in union with Francis, our Pope

And now here you are. And the Pope concluded by saying the people who have walked through darkness have seen a great light

And he said we ourselves are witnesses to that light. We go now to Linda Schmidt, who is just outside Madison Square Garden

Linda? That's right. Good evening to you there, Dan, and congratulations. What a great experience

for you. And as you know, and everybody watching here today, more than 20,000 people were inside

for that mass tonight at Madison Square Garden. And as those folks spilled out onto the streets

they were using words like exhilarating and powerful and saying that the Pope's message

is now something that they are going to carry forward and do their best to try and make an

even bigger effort to help others. Here are some of the folks that we talked to earlier tonight

An emotionally powerful, wonderful experience, uplifting, renewing. There was a spirit in the arena with all those people there

That really was very, very spectacular. It was an experience, just a lifetime dream come true

I really liked it. It was cool. I think that's the best thing that happened to us

And also, it's a blessing for all of us for having the Pope here

because it's just exhorting us what we have to do for the poor

Okay, now, I also talked with this couple. They had a great story. Their names, Laura and Paul Brown

and they were here tonight with their 11-year-old son, Emery Thomas. Now, they felt so spiritually uplifted, of course

by being inside to hear the Pope here tonight with this mass

just like everybody did. No matter who you talk to, that's how they feel. But their story is quite unique

because it turns out that their daughter, who's in eighth grade. Her name is Ella. She goes to Marymount. She happened to be up in Harlem

today, and she was able to greet the Pope. She was one of the students who got to greet the Pope

outside of Our Lady Queen of Angels School in Harlem, and she got to hug the Pope, and this

is video that was then seen around the world. So this family truly feeling blessed tonight

and I spoke with the mom, Laura, about it. Here's what she had to say. She prayed to hug the Pope and then at four o'clock when he exited, they were there to greet

him on the street and bless the rosary. So the rosary he gave me when we got engaged

he touched it and blessed it and hugged her. An absolutely amazing story. An eighth grader

she prays that she's going to be able to hug the Pope and her dream comes true

God answered her prayers. For now, that's the very latest from here. Steve, back to you in the studio

Pretty incredible. All right. Thank you, Linda. And an estimated 80,000 people packed into Central

Park and waited for hours to see the pontiff pass by in his Popemobile. Among them, our own Arthur

Chien. For the tens of thousands of people who came to Central Park today, winning that ticket

online was just the first step. This was an all-day commitment if you wanted to see Pope Francis

And whether or not you were here, especially if you weren't, we want to give you a sense of who it

was that was out here and what this experience was like for them. Where are you from? Brooklyn

The Bronx. Queens. I'm from Kansas City originally, but I've lived in New York the last two years

We're from Brooklyn, New York. What made you want to come and see him here? Especially Pope Francis

I think he has a very different message, especially for millennials. He's very progressive and has a way to speak that's very inclusive of everyone

He's the Pope. I mean, he's fantastic. He's the best Pope in my lifetime. I mean, he's, I don't know, an inspiration

What made you want to come out and be here? Just to experience the holiness

Just treats everyone so, so with love and kindness. has opened his arms to everyone in our church and beyond

Just a beautiful person. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Is there anything that you're going to do differently as a result of seeing him

or is there anything that you're going to recommit to in your life as a result of his visit? I know we've already spoke about it, and just, you know, we've always been Catholic

but it's just like a renewed, you know, doing more, helping out. I'm actually their Girl Scout leader, so we're going to be doing a lot

helping the homeless and trying to do things even more than we ever did

Just be kind to each other. We tried to live up to more of his example on how he thinks change should be

and I'd like to follow that. Definitely seeing him here kind of makes you look at people with a new light

to try and view everyone with a little more tolerance. What was it like when he went by

Just amazing. I had her up here, and I caught this much of his face

and it was still amazing. It was beautiful. It was very emotional. Beautiful. Exciting. Exciting

I WAS A FEELING I NEVER HAD BEFORE IN MY LIFE I FELT LIKE I WAS THE ONLY ONE HERE AMONGST 80 PEOPLE SUCH A MOVING EXPERIENCE It such a moving experience Amazing I was almost in tears Obviously there has been a lot of excitement surrounding this trip but the real test for Pope Francis in his own mind

is whether or not he can inspire people to do more, to do better, going forward, long after his visit is over

Pope Francis would be the first to admit he's got plenty he can learn from children

He got a technology lesson by a couple of school kids today who showed him how to work a touchscreen

That's the thing on the left there. You can see with the image of the river and the trees. just one of the many memorable moments from his visit today to Our Lady Queen of Angels School in East Harlem

I think that's where one of the kids said, you have to double click. Right, right, teaching them how to double click

Well, the Pope was greeted at the school by students chanting, I love you. He even stopped for a number of selfies on the way

and Stacey Delicatt has more on the trip that seemed to bring out the best in the Pope

Pope Francis pulled up to Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem at 4 o'clock sharp

then stopped to grab hands, wave, and pose for pictures. Holy Father, we love you. Holy Father, we love you

Inside, some very excited third and fourth graders who had prepared for this moment for months

Oh, that's the man that I may never see. It went amazing, and I cried. I really cried

Did he touch you? Yes, he touched my head, and now I'm going to tell my mom never to wash my hair again

Isa Nashal showed the Pope how the classroom smart board works. It was fantastic

And eighth grader Victor Franco presented him with a special prayer bouquet

It was an honor just to be in his presence. Inside you feel such emotions that you really can't explain

At the school, Pope Francis also met with Catholic Charities workers and 150 immigrant and refugee families

He invoked Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech in his remarks

It is beautiful to have dreams. It is beautiful also to be able to fight for those dreams

Don't forget about that. Basilio Lopez, a day laborer from Guatemala, had a truly touching experience

He shook my hand, and after I asked him, can I give you a hug

And he said, yes, of course. The visit of the school, just an hour, but one these lucky few will never forget

Do you think you'll remember this for a long time? A very, very, very long time

As Pope Francis was wrapping up his remarks, he said to the students and the adults

I hope you don't mind. I want to give you a little homework assignment. Please continue to pray for me

Seven years prior, Pope Benedict XVI graced New York City with an appearance

The papal visit in 2008 marked the conclusion of the late Pope's historic six-day tour of the United States

Excitement growing here in New York. The Pope is expected to arrive here, as we said, in just a little over an hour

Pope Benedict has left the Vatican Embassy on his way. Well, he's actually just left Andrew's Air Force Base

He pretty much wheels up as we speak. He is. You know, most of us, when we travel between New York and Washington

take the Delta Shuttle, something like that. Very different kind of means of travel for Pope Benedict XVI

as he boards Shepard I. That's the official Vatican plane that the Pope travels on

And again, a live picture from Andrew's Air Force Base. The plane is getting ready. sort of taxiing on the runway

And soon he'll be airborne and on his way to JFK, and that's where Fox 5's Rob Malcolm is right now

Hey, Rob. Hey, Rick. You know, it's certainly exciting to watch those live pictures

of the Pope Benedict XVI leaving Andrews Air Force Base. Now, obviously, you can just feel the excitement down here

and just see the energy that this man creates. Now, I just want to give you a sense of what's going to happen here

when he arrives here at JFK Hangar 19. You'll see behind me this red carpet

They were just sweeping it off. They're cleaning off. He's going to have a receiving line on both lines of this red carpet

Then walk down, shake hands with all the dignitaries here. And intense security down here this morning

It started for us at about 2 o'clock at the Sheraton Hotel. And we actually had to be searched by the Secret Service

All our bags were checked. From there, the media was shuttled on the buses and herded out of Midtown here to JFK

and you get a sense down here, you see behind me the Port Authority sharpshooters

Also, all these guys standing around not smiling. These guys are all Secret Service

We had about six Secret Service agents at the hotel, many more down here

And I know a lot of our colleagues have been talking about the intense security

It's really going to change things in New York, but obviously as Pope Benedict comes to town, you've got to make sure he's safe

and it's going to be a fantastic visit. everybody wants it to go well. Guys, back to you. All right, Rob, thanks very much. Well

after the airport welcoming ceremony, the Pope has a very busy schedule throughout his time in

Manhattan. And Fox 5's Reed Lamberty continues our papal coverage from JFK. Where does the Pope

go after he leaves there? I know he has a short helicopter flight before his big speech at the UN

Yeah, Jody, he hits the ground running literally a 15-minute brief ceremony here at Kennedy Airport

HE WILL HAVE A HALICOPTER AND TAKE A BRIEF FIVE, TEN MINUTE FLIGHT TO A HALICOPORT IN THIS

HANGER JUST BEHIND ME. AND FROM THERE, AS YOU MENTIONED, HE WILL GET ON A HELICOPTER, TAKE A VERY BRIEF

FIVE, TEN MINUTE FLIGHT TO A HELIPORT ON WALL STREET. AND FROM THERE, HE WILL HAVE A

MOTORCADE TO THE UNITED NATIONS WHERE HE WILL MAKE HIS FIRST PUBLIC ADDRESS HERE IN NEW YORK CITY

AS POPE HE WILL ADDRESS THE UNITED NATIONS LATER THIS MORNING. FROM THERE, HE HAS TWO MORE

EVENTS SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDES VISITING THAT SYNAGOGUE ON THE UPPER

ST. JOSEPH PARISH IN YORKVILLE, NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE SYNAGOGUE IN THE UPPER

EAST SIDE. THAT IS A PRIMARILY GERMAN-ORIENTED CONGREGATION. OF COURSE, THE POPE, BORN, JOSEPH RATZINGER, BORN IN GERMANY, IN BAVARIA

SO HE HAS A PRETTY BUSY DAY HERE. ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, HE WAS SEEN LEAVING THE VATICAN

EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THAT IS WHERE HE STAYED THE LAST THREE DAYS

This is a six-day U.S. visit, three days in the nation's capital, and three days here in New York City

And again, he hits the ground running as soon as his plane, Shepard One, arrives here at Kennedy, scheduled to land at 945

He is on the... There's a good picture right there that we are showing, of course

The Holy Father outside St. Patrick's Cathedral, Monsignor, tell us about what he's wearing

right now. This is really so beautiful because it's almost brand new

Usually, he has a mozzetta, we call it, which is like scarlet, but this is white

It looks like there's some kind of fur around the collar. Yes, that's what it is

You know, it's called a mazetta, and it's really taken like half of the body

He seems to favor this, doesn't he? He favors this, but this is brand new. We usually do not see a pope with this kind of, usually there is a mazetta, but without any..

What do you mean? With that kind of fur or fur? I believe that he has resurrected something from the past

We were talking about that, that he's going back into the vault here. He going into the vault and pulling out some Usually it red the scarlet but this is white and white so beautiful And white what does white say White signifies unity and As I explained yesterday you know this goes back to

The crowd is going wild, Monsignor. Look at this. Isn't this beautiful? Yeah, yeah

In 1566, there was a pope, a Dominican pope, Pius V. And since then, he decided to keep white instead of scarlet

And from that on, you know, he the Pope continued to wear white

I don't think he's going back into the vault exactly after 15 years

He's had some vestments made brand new based on former... On some of the other things, really

He loves clothes. Yes. He loves the red shoes. This is really beautiful

This is something completely new. And what is he kissing right now

Can you see that? The crucifix given to him at the entrance of the cathedral

This was done also when the other pope came, John Paul II

And he is blessing the people now that are around him? He sprinkles them with holy water

Something that we do as a renewal of our baptismal vows. And I don't want to look at the clock, but it is 9.03 and the Holy Father is early

Down the aisle. Good timing. And there he is walking down the aisle. At 9.15 he will say in the name of the Father

He has quite an official title, by the way, as I was reading it. Yes

Official Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ. The most important title is Bishop of Rome because he's the, naturally, just like Peter, was the bishop of Rome. Yes

A pope is pope simply because he's Bishop of Rome. Then, naturally, Vicar of Christ, that's the second title

Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. Prince of the Apostles, Peter, yes, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church

That's what we use in the official, among the official title, Primate of Italy

Yes. Because these all through the centuries titles have accumulated. Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province

Sovereign of the Vatican City State. Sovereign of the Vatican City State, yes

And because he is, we have a new state. Very few people know that when we addressed, when my address for 26 years was Vatican City comma Europe, not Rome Italy

Monsignor, look at the excitement inside St. Patrick's Cathedral. People are, the clergy, the religious men and women are just so excited to see him

People are clapping wildly and waving. In 1995, Pope John Paul II made his second papal visit to New York City

Even on a damp and rainy day, the streets were abuzz with excitement and anticipation

And for three days, the Pope made his journey through the city. Good evening. A thrill of a lifetime for the people at tonight's Mass

Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in at least seven languages. is. No words were needed to describe the electricity as the Pope first appeared this

evening, being driven around the stadium in his Popemobile. But out on the streets, a

lot of drivers weren't moving. Police say it was the politest bunch of New York drivers

they'd ever seen as the streets were shut down to allow the Pope's motorcade through

And the Pope was lifted on wings of song for his first stop this morning

A children's choir greeted him at the United Nations. And the Pope told the crowd, I see the people of New Jersey know how to praise God even in the rain

He said the rain was a sign of life and a sign of God's blessing. Bob O'Brien starts our coverage. He's at Giant Stadium right now. Bob

You know, John, there may be thousands of New Jersey Catholics nursing pope colds by tomorrow morning after the drenching they got here at Giant Stadium this evening

But the experience of being with their shepherd will stay with them long after their sniffles are gone

As the pontiff circled the stadium floor, blessing those lucky enough to be here for his visit

his thoughts were of the America once symbolized by the Statue of Liberty

a nation asking for the world's huddled masses yearning to be free

The Pope cautions America not to lose that essence of the American experience

Is present-day America becoming less sensitive, less caring towards the poor

the weak, the stranger, the need? It must know. The Pontus Microphone Man was third-year seminarian Don Gleason

who will be ordained a priest himself next year. But as he was arriving at the stadium earlier

he looked more like a Yankee fan. There's this whole thing going on with the Yankees right now

Are you going to be, maybe, put a little word in with the Holy Father? Well, I hope so. I'm a big sports fan

It's funny even that I'm here today, as I used to work for the New Jersey Devils before I entered the seminary

So this whole thing, the story goes on and on and on. And so did the rain

It came down in misty sheets on the 83,000 faithful here, some of whom got prime pope position seating after very generous donations to the archdiocese

The big contributors get the great seats? I guess I didn't contribute enough to get a dry seat

Maybe the pope's rainmaking got ahead of himself now. He couldn't get his chopper in the air

Oh, that's all right. We'll still take it. We'll take both him and the weather. It really hasn't dampened any spirits

Or the business being done by vendors hawking their holy items. Two roses short. $30, please

What is this like about a grand a minute this pace? Something like that. Probably a little more than that

When's the last time you were this busy? Last time? Probably for one of the concerts. Probably the Rolling Stones

All the rock stars on the planet Earth combined don't have the people pulling power of this Polish Pope

His fans flock to their shepherd, rain or shine. And Mario Bosquez was outside Giants Stadium all day as they streamed in

Yeah! The Pope, yeah, we love the Pope. Although nature offered a great canvas for Pope John Paul II's giant stadium mass

worshippers themselves filled in the picture with their colorful rain gear, warding off the downpour with their expectant faces and a song

The Doyle family of Haworth, New Jersey, seven strong, chosen in their parish to exchange a sign of peace with the pontiff

Excitement. It was really a tremendous gift to us, and it's been tremendously exciting for us

These high school and college students got up early, volunteering their time and energy to help with traffic and seating

braving the weather to be a part of the Pontiff's Mass. Usually we just go to school, study, and do nothing

This is the most monumentous thing ever happening in New Jersey. What's the biggest seller

Rosaries and ponchos. Others brought treasured keepsakes, mother's prayer book, a loved one's rosary

praying for a blessing from the Holy Father's hand. All guests will be subject to search

and must pass through a metal detector. Ironclad security turned Giant Stadium into a watery fortress

where not even priests could escape scrutiny. And there was pint-sized heartbreak

I had my ticket in my wrinkle pocket and then it just fell out and I don know It fell out through your pocket Yeah And now it like Oh how did you feel Um sad and like kind of mad We started to cry

These kind people here allowed us to go in with their extra ticket. Judging from the exuberant

mood inside the stadium, it appears a Pope's blessing have made the penance of parking

and the drenching all worthwhile. And when Jesus was alive, it didn't matter whether it was cold

window. He's there to hear the good news. Good evening, everyone. Well, New York City just can't

get enough of Pope John Paul II. That's right, and from the looks of it, he feels the same way

about all of us. Now, we have full coverage of the Pope's day here in the Big Apple. It was a busy day

and it wrapped up just a short time ago. Now, that's when the pontiff met with Jewish leaders

at the residence of John Cardinal O'Connor. People who were there described the meetings as very warm

and intimate. The Holy Father greeted and blessed everyone there. Earlier, he also played host to

Christian and Muslim leaders as well. Now, earlier, the Holy Father blessed the Vatican's mission to the United Nations

Now, it's known as the Holy See. He praised the mission's work on behalf of world peace

The Pontiff says the Holy See continues to remind the world's nations that they must always remember the good in the human spirit

The Pontiff's day began with a huge mass on the Great Lawn in Central Park

Thousands of enthusiastic worshipers flocked to see the Pope speak from a majestic altar draped with colorful flags

But it was also a day of both prayers and protests. Now, you'd be surprised at the anger that some people actually have for the pontiff

But, Linda, there was no anger inside St. Patrick's Cathedral, only love

That's where John Paul II recited the rosary. Sue Kelleher was there and joins us now from the newsroom

Susan, what an event. Well, Mario, tonight Pope John Paul became one with his people for his last public appearance at St. Patrick's Cathedral

The service that began with a song and a prayer culminated in a surprise finale many New Yorkers won't soon forget

Inside a packed St. Patrick's Cathedral, Pope John Paul prayed and recited the rosary with some 2,000 Catholics

Outside, Susan Grein clutched her baby and her rosary beads, drinking in the aura of his holiness

I feel he's like a saint. I feel very, very happy inside, very glorious to be in his presence

Thousands of the faithful turned Fifth Avenue into an open-air sanctuary. Dozens held up their rosaries for a papal blessing. Others hoped for more

18-year-old Claudia Escobar suffers from cerebral palsy. Her family thought getting close to the Pope couldn't hurt

I came to see the Pope. We don't expect a miracle, but hopefully a miracle. The Rosary Service was a who's who of Catholic New Yorkers, among them Governor Pataki

But the most prominent Catholic who traveled to St. Pat's in the Popemobile left the cathedral on foot

Walking through the crowd, the pontiff mingled with the masses. It created a security nightmare for the Secret Service and NYPD, but the crowd loved it

Now, the Pope was supposed to leave the cathedral through an interior passageway

but his walk along 50th Street was a very nice surprise. Linda, Mario, back to you

Thanks very much for that report, Susan. He certainly touched a lot of lives today. The crowds outside were as surprised as the cops when the Pope sent the limo away

and then went for an unscheduled stroll. For most, it's a treat they won't soon forget

Linda. Well, Mario, another treat earlier in the day. The Pope graced Central Park with a huge mass, as we told you about just a little while ago

while world-famous tenor Placido Domingo graced the Pope with song. People began arriving shortly after midnight to make sure they had a good spot from which to see the Pope

Just the thought of being with the Pontiff created a mellow mood

No one's pushing, no one's angry, everyone's smiling and laughing, and it's real good

Just to follow one man is just absolutely amazing. I think he's wonderful and I can't wait to see him

No traffic moved on Fifth Avenue or other roads bordering Central Park

as urban pilgrims by the tens of thousands streamed to see the Pope

For many, it was a family event. Her first visit with the Pope

It is her first visit, but it probably won't be her last. Yeah? Yeah

You all have the confidence that he's going to be the Pope through the millennium like he says he wants to be, huh

He certainly looks vigorous enough, so I think he's going to make it. And she'll be a lot bigger, too

By the time the Pope arrived, the great lawn was carpeted with humanity

Many there were perhaps thinking they were seeing John Paul for the last time

because of his recent health problems, but this vibrant, resilient man has long-term plans

The 75-year-old Panav tells everyone that he still wants to be pope in the year 2000

He asks young Catholics who will live most of their lives in the third millennium

to help shape its social, moral, and spiritual character as a gift to him

The pope knows that you will do this, and for this he loves you

Then you can tell the whole world that you gave the Pope his Christmas present already

in October in New York in Central Park. Countless voices joined the choir as this Catholic crowd gave an early start to the real Christmas season

Many of the young people in his audience promising not to forget the gift the Pope asked from them

My present will be to try to keep peace around the world and have other teens try to do the same thing

Keep violence off the street and drugs. I personally want to renew my faith as a strong and try to do, you know, encourage others to do the same

I never knew much about the Pope before now, and now I just, I don't know, I get chills, you know, just hearing him

Do not be afraid. The power of the Holy Spirit is with you. Is with you. Amen

We now head back to 1979 when Pope John Paul II made his first trip to New York City

But even before he stepped into the city, people throughout the five boroughs were preparing for the papal visit

Well, here in town, there's a lot of excitement and preparation going on in anticipation of the Pope's visit to our city

Joanne Lee reports that some of the preparations are quite commercial. They are being turned out by the thousands, buttons of Pope John Paul II

By the time he arrives in the United States in October, all sorts of papal paraphernalia will be on the market

It may be a gamble, but manufacturers like Matt Slater are banking on a big demand for Pope John Paul souvenir items

The Pope turned out to be a very popular Pope. And we thought with so many millions of Catholics and Italians and Polish people in this country

that a lot of people would like to purchase some type of a memento to remember this wonderful place

person. Buttons. Why are Americans so in love with having buttons? Well, I don't know. In the

last few years, buttons has become somewhat of a craze, and it's like a little walking billboard

It's a good advertising medium at a very economical cost. This particular manufacturer believes he can

sell about a half a million of these buttons by the time the Pope comes to the United States

But no, Pope John Paul II will not be getting any royalties

And tomorrow night, our own Bob O'Brien will have a special report on the plane and crew that will fly the Pope across the Atlantic on Monday

Bob and a Channel 5 crew will be on that plane with the pontiff. And scenes like those in Ireland today will be repeated Tuesday right here in New York

The pontiff will arrive at LaGuardia Airport at 9, 15 a.m. and head directly to the United Nations

A whirlwind tour of the city, including a visit to the South Bronx, where residents have already put out the welcome signs

and spruced up their neighborhood around Morris Avenue and 151st Street, where the Pope will spend 15 minutes early Tuesday evening

Some residents there told me today, thanks to the Pope's visit, the city has finally gotten around to cleaning up this littered, vacant lot

a long-time eyesore. An abandoned, scarred building was even knocked down, so the Pontiff would not have to walk amidst the blighted ruins

While just about everyone in the South Bronx is thrilled the Pope is coming there

few believe his visit will change things. It would be nice if he did make things better, but that's something that's hard to do, you know

That's something that's really hard to do, you know. Because you've got every politician around has made promises, never fulfilled him

And the Pope I don think he going to be any different At least one thing he bless this land where we live at anyway if nobody else will Because frankly South Bronx has been neglected for so many years anyway

And I hope that his visit would influence people in a lot of good ways and bring everyone here closer together

I hope that he could create a miracle that President Carter couldn't do for us, for the Bronx

Pope John Paul II just may be bringing a miracle to that South Bronx neighborhood he'll visit

Residents there say they've heard that the city now plans to go ahead with construction of at least two buildings

on the very lot where the Pope will stand on Tuesday, something the neighborhood has been waiting for for the past 10 years

The historic day came on October 2, 1979, when Pope John Paul II made his way around New York City

making a stop in Harlem and ending with an unforgettable event at Yankee Stadium

If you saw today's speech by the Pope to the United Nations General Assembly, then you know you saw something special

You heard a lecture on world peace and understanding to a room filled with diplomats who are supposed to specialize in things like that

And because of that, maybe that's why there did seem to be a thin wall between the speaker and his audience

There was a distance. But Gabe spent his time where there was no distance between the Holy Father and his children

The signs, the joyful, prayerful people seemed to be everywhere. Many had waited since the early morning hours

People not only from New York, but from the Midwest, from all over the country. And as the motorcade came into view here on First Avenue, waving and cheering, John Paul II saluting the crowds as they saluted him, a kind of mutual admiration relationship that was to be seen again and again on this day

In the faces emotion faith you could see it and sense how much it meant to them even before they put it into words It been said that there are more people of Irish descent in this metropolis than there are in Dublin more Italians than in Rome more people of Polish descent than in many Polish towns

Certainly, the names of the people we talked to had a good international ring

I'm Polish, I'm Catholic, this is the greatest moment of my life

I never thought I'd ever see the Pope, and yet to see a Polish Pope, I'm very, very moved, very moved

What did you see in his face? Did you see something there? What? Kindness

What do you see on his face? It's not the smile. It's his everything inside, the soul, his wisdom

I can see. I can see. I feel great. I feel... What is this

I see something that I've never seen before. Something that I've never seen before

And what that is, you can't describe? I can't describe, no. It's a beautiful thing I've ever seen

What about you, sir? I've been so excited. that made me almost cry, you know

First time I've seen a Pope in America. Polaka. Polaka. He knows that he's a Polish, and she felt so deep

But... It's a great joy for us. We are proud, but we're proud not because he's Polish

but because he's, I think, a very great man. Many children, some from St. Jean the Baptist School

were holding flowers. a man rang a bell, young and old in the crowds, many in the windows. The Pope's motorcade

slowed down at the Apostolic Observer's Mission, 72nd and Madison, where a 14-year-old girl

presented the Pope with flowers. In the street outside, watching, people from all over New

York and America even a young woman from West Africa As the Pope was having lunch with Cardinal Cook and other church leaders inside there were chants of long live the Pope we love the Pope Soon he would be leaving to go back to the UN amid great cheers

Even the waiters from an exclusive east side restaurant who had served him, were leaning out the window and applauding and cheering when he left

The Pope had dined with broth, filo mignon, sautéed spring beans, spinach

prepped dessert, and to one waiter it was a most memorable meal

I was very excited, very nervous. I'm glad I didn't spill anything, which I was very lucky

It's a great honor. And when you gave him the flowers, what did he say to you

He said, thank you very much, and he blessed me. He gave me a kiss on the forehead, and he hugged me, and I gave him a kiss back

How did it feel? I was very honored. It was exciting. I was nervous, and I couldn't believe it happened

Late this afternoon, an unforgettable moment outside St. Patrick's. the Pope blessing tens of thousands in the vicinity of the great cathedral

and later, here too, people expressing what was in their hearts. I would like to see him because my baby is sick

He can't, he fell in the head, he has 21 operations in the head

and so he cannot walk, he cannot talk. I would like to see to him what happened, I come in here

So I'll be five hours here. And finally, the first papal visit to New York City

and to the entire U.S. came on October 4, 1965, when Pope John Paul VI made a trip to the Big

Apple. But even though it only lasted 14 hours, it touched the hearts of many

And that was the news then