WASHINGTON — The limited number of tickets for Pope Francis’ scheduled events during his visit to D.C. has left lots of people crossing their fingers and hoping to get in to see the first South American pontiff.
“All Saints (church), where I go in Manassas, Virginia, is doing a raffle for only four people (who will get tickets), so I’ll just stay outside here and try to see the pope,” said Andrea Pinillos, as she stood in front of the steps of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in D.C. The pope will celebrate an open-air Mass on the steps later this month.
Pinillos, a student at Trinity Washington University, is originally from Peru and now lives in Manassas.
Pope Francis will also visit with bishops and clients of Catholic Charities, meet with President Barack Obama at the White House and deliver an address to Congress.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, realizes the 25,000-ticket cap will not allow everyone who wants a spot at the open-air Mass to get one.
“Any moment in that visit is rich with meaning, and you can see why everybody is so excited. The one great issue is: For every seat I have, for every ticket I have, there are at least 10 requests,” he says.
Catholic University’s campus will be closed to the public during the Mass. University students have entered a lottery for standing-room tickets.
“Thanks to radio, thanks to television, thanks to social media, and the fact that all of this is going to be streamed, people will be able to be present in multiple ways, even if they’re not physically present. But that doesn’t really answer the question when a person says, ‘I’d like a ticket’,” Wuerl says with an understanding smile.
The pope will celebrate Mass in Philadelphia later in his trip; that event is open to the public.
At the outdoor Mass at the Basilica, Wuerl says some of those with tickets include people served by Catholic Charities, people with special needs, seminarians and people from the West Coast representing the Native American community.
Pinillos plans to find a way to see the Argentinean pope, even if only for a moment.
“He actually has brought a lot of the South Americans to be back in the faith, and his message is very strong,” she says. “(My friends in Peru are) all excited that my family and I are here, and are going to be so close to him, trying to have just a glimpse.”
Wuerl says the parishes have found “ingenious” ways to fairly divide the limited tickets available for the Mass, and the message is what is most important.
“It’s an exciting time, it’s also uplifting,” Wuerl says.
