Pope Francis' schedule in Philadelphia

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Philadelphia prepares for Pope Francis' visit

Josh Einiger reports from Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA (WABC) -- Organizers expect about 500,000 people for the festival and concert Saturday and more than a million people at the papal Mass on Sunday. They expect about 40,000 people for the pope's speech on immigration and religious freedom at Independence Hall on Saturday.

The National Guard was bringing in about 3,000 soldiers and airmen to help with traffic control.

The TSA has set up 15 checkpoints.

The Ben Franklin Bridge will be open to only pedestrians so to get there, thousands will climb the equivalent of a 13-story building.

And getting home will be even harder.

"People will be walking back when it's dark. People will have walkers or need lot of rest so they may not get back to Camden until 9, 10, or 11 o'clock at night and then they have to find their cars," said Sam Schwartz, NJ DOT Consultant.

Concrete barriers, steel fencing and rows of portable toilets line streets in the vehicle-free zone around the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where Francis will participate in a festival Saturday and celebrate Mass on Sunday.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 (PHILADELPHIA)

9:30 a.m. Arrival at Atlantic Aviation

10:30 a.m. Mass at Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul

4:45 p.m. Independence Mall Address (This event is open to the public.)

7:30 p.m. Festival of Families on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (This event is open to the public.)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (PHILADELPHIA)

9:15 a.m. Meeting with Bishops at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary

11:00 a.m. Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility Visit

4:00 p.m. Papal Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (This event is open to the public.)

8:00 p.m. Departure from Atlantic Aviation

Walking to some areas required passing through airport-style metal detectors, where agents were flagging banned items, such as pocket knives and shaving cream canisters, or walking several blocks out of the way to avoid the security zone.

The National Weather Service forecast partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the high 70s on Saturday and a 30 percent chance of rain on Sunday.

(Some information from the Associated Press)