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.
