WASHINGTON — Months of planning by myriad agencies ends Tuesday, as Pope Francis arrives at Joint Base Andrews at about 4 p.m. to begin his whirlwind tour of the U.S. in Washington.
“This is the culmination of eight months of planning, preparation, detail work,” says Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington. “[Monday] night at about 10 o’clock I was still receiving and sending emails on tiny little final points.”
Wuerl believes the joy of the moment will be overwhelming.
“There will be millions of people who will hear him and see him even if it can’t be physically possible (to be in his presence). But the excitement — the excitement is so intense, it’s been fun doing all of this,” Wuerl says.
The appeal of Pope Francis extends even to people who are not members of the Catholic Church. Wuerl thinks it’s because the Pope inspires people to try to be better and has a message of love.
“God loves each and every one of us. And our God is a merciful, loving God,” Wuerl says. “People are saying: ‘You know what? I’m hearing that. I’m hearing that in a way I didn’t before’.”
And Pope Francis’ emphasis on that message, Wuerl says, is “going to be his greatest gift to us.”
