Faith & Philly

Sights of Philadelphia after hours. (Gina Keating/CATHOLIC SUN)
Sights of Philadelphia after hours. (Gina Keating/CATHOLIC SUN)

With the Holy Father coming to Philadelphia Saturday, here are a few quick facts.

Papal Points:
  • Pope Francis is often referred to as “The People’s Pope;”
  • His visit to Philadelphia upset the schedule of the Philadelphia Eagles;
  • Pope Francis worked as a bouncer during college;
  • He has a master’s degree in chemistry;
  • He cooked all his own meals when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires;
  • His plane is known as Shepherd One;
  • He doesn’t wear red papal shoes, choosing instead an old, worn-out pair of black shoes;
  • Pope Francis has 7.3 million twitter fans;
  • He likes the band One Direction;
  • In Rome he is known as “il Papa,” which means Father;
  • He likes soccer;
  • He knows how to tango;
  • He owned a Harley Davidson motorcycle that he auctioned to benefit the homeless.
Philly Facts:
  • There are four million residents in Greater Philadelphia;
  • There were nearly 40 million domestic visitors to the city last year;
  • The city was founded in 1682;
  • There are 369 outdoor cafes in Center City;
  • There are six Major Catholic shrines in the area: to St. John Neumann, St. Katherine Drexel, St. Rita of Cascia, St. Gianna Berretta Molla, Our Lady of Czestochowa, and to the Miraculous Medal;
  • 1.1 million Catholics live in Greater Philadelphia;
  • There are 72 steps up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art;
  • The Liberty Bell weighs 2,080 pounds; and
  • The William Penn statue atop City Hall downtown is 37 feet.

Follow Gina Keating on Twitter at @Keatingrus.

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