Pope Francis' words will be worth hearing, but if you plan to do so in person, expect a struggle.
I am happy that Pope Francis is going to visit our region in less than two weeks.
I like this pope because he seems to be willing to take on the issues I believe religion should address. He cares about the poor. He is acutely aware of the worldwide class system and has commented it. He has addressed discrimination based on race, gender and sexual orientation. Even if you disagree with him, hopefully you respect his willingness to engage intelligently.
Pope Francis will fly into Andrews Air Force outside of Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Sept. 22. While in Washington, he will meet with President Barack Obama, speak to a joint session of Congress - which should be very interesting - and, of course, meet with church officials. He'll fly out of D.C. on Thursday, Sept. 24, arriving at Kennedy International Airport at 5 p.m. By 6:45, the man will be conducting evening prayers at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.
After a hectic New York City schedule, the pope is slated to arrive at Philadelphia International Airport at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26.
In our region, intense preparation is taking place to accommodate the pope, as millions of people are expected to descend upon the area to participate in the festivities. The big events, which up to 2 million people are expected to attend, are visit to Independence Mall on Saturday and celebration of Mass for the World Meeting of Families on Sunday on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
There appears to be significant difference in the way our area is responding to Francis' visit compared to Washington and New York. This is a mystery to me. I understand the need for security and, in my mind, the pope should be afforded the level of security equal to that of any head of state. But what is going on here seems to be leading to a logistical nightmare. I learned a long time ago that most things that start off badly end the same way, but I truly hope I am wrong about this one.
Let's start with last week's online giveaway of a total of 20,000 free tickets for those wishing to secure a spot within approximately three blocks of the pope when he visits Independence Mall and the Art Museum area. People got their free tickets and quite a few are already attempting to sell them on eBay and other sites, hoping for big profits. That no one organizing these events seems to have anticipated this degree of scalping was a big miss.
The Philadelphia part of the visit was publicized to the world, and some people will arrive from other nations in our hemisphere to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime chance to see this pope. Tickets of all types are routinely resold, and with few controls, "pope passes" are a reseller's dream come true.
Others are waiting to cash in by selling all types of nonsensical memorabilia, which seems to be somewhat against what this pope stands for. I have already seen the papal T-shirts and mugs. Remember what Pope Francis said about unchecked capitalism?
Then there are the road and bridge closings, which will not occur in the New York and Washington areas to the same degree.
This is not a good plan. I can share personal experience since I ride my All City bicycle to both Independence Mall and the Philadelphia Art Museum weekly. Limiting the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to non-vehicular traffic is no joke; it is 1.5 miles long with steep upward incline followed by a significant downward slope. In other words, it's a challenging walk. Then it's another five miles through a concrete jungle to the art museum area where the Mass will take place.
Imagine taking this journey in a large crowd that will have its own pace, in 85-degree weather or maybe rain, then standing for three hours while the pope does his thing -- before taking that same walk back over the bridge to your vehicle. This is not an adventure for the weak of heart, body or mind, and I sincerely hope no one dies trying it.
If you're a man or woman of some maturity, or not in the best physical condition, it may be better to stay home and watch the pope on the television station of your choice.
That's my plan.
Milton W. Hinton Jr. is director of equal opportunity for the Gloucester County government. He is past president of the Gloucester County Branch NAACP. His column states his personal views, not those of any organization or agency. Email: mwhjr678@gmail.com.