Pope Francis wrapped-up his big day in New York City by rocking the Garden. 
 
 The leader of the Roman Catholic church took over the home of the New York Knicks, Liberty and Rangers on Friday and transformed the sports shrine into a holy hall. 
 
 “God is living in our cities,” Francis said in Spanish. 
 
 The 24,000 worshippers packing Madison Square Garden did something that’s not usually done at Masses — they burst into applause. 
 
 LIVE BLOG: THE DAILY NEWS FOLLOWS THE POPE IN NEW YORK 
 
 “In big cities, beneath the roar of traffic, beneath the rapid pace of change, so many faces pass by unnoticed because they have no right to be there, no right to be part of the city," Francis continued. "They are the foreigners, their children who go without school, those deprived medical insurance, the homeless, the forgotten elderly.” 
 
 Embrace them and “go out and show that God is in your midst,” Francis said. 
 
 “Knowing that Jesus still walks our streets, that he is vitally a part of the lives of his people, that he is involved with us in a vast history of salvation, fills us with hope,” he said. 
 
 And with those words, Francis hammered some of the same points he has been making ever since he began his pilgrimage to the U.S. on Tuesday. 
 
 God, he said, “frees us from anonymity, from a life of emptiness and selfishness.” 
 
 Thousands cheer as Pope Francis rides through Central Park. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Still flanked by the heavy security that has been with him every step of the way since he got to Gotham, Francis took the Popemobile on a procession down West Drive where he basked in the adoration. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) 
 
 Near the end of the Mass, thunderous applause echoed through the hall when Timothy Cardinal Dolan stood up and declared, “We pray for Francis our Pope, and now here you are.” 
 
 Calling his Papa Francesco, Dolan said, “It is so dazzlingly evident this evening that the church is our family, and you Holy Father, thanks for visiting us, your family.” 
 
 Then Dolan hugged the Pope and handed him a golden chalice while somene yelled "Viva Papa!" from the crowd. 
 
 And when Francis stood up and gave a parting blessing, he did so in English. 
 
 “Go in peace,” he said. “Please I ask you, don’t forget to pray for me.” 
 
 It was the crowning end to a day that began with Francis urging the United Nations General Assembly to combat climate change, segued into a solemn visit to the National September Memorial & Museum, was followed by a trip to East Harlem to meet Catholic school children and a ride through Central Park where 80,000 people cheered him on. 
 
 Back in 1979, one of Francis’ popular predecessors, Pope John Paul, got the rock star treatment at MSG when he attended a youth rally for 20,000 kids. 
 
 Francis got the same kind of reception when he arrived at the Garden around 6 p.m. after taking a ride through Central Park where he was feted by 80,000 New Yorkers. 
 
 MSG erupted in cheers as Francis did a quick ride-through on a white golf cart, waving and shaking as many hands as he could. 
 
 At one point Francis blessed a baby that was brought out to him before he ducked out to change into his green vestments for a celebratory mass. 
 
 “This is a once in a lifetime thing,” said Dennis Hogan of Staten Island, who had been waiting with his wife Judy since 11:30 a.m. when the line to get in was three blocks long. 
 
 Hogan, a deacon at Our Lady Queen of Peace in the New Dorp section, was enlisted to help distribute Holy Communion. 
 
 “We prepared for this for years, and when it happens it's a culmination of a dream,” he said. 
 
 Asked if he had any pre-Mass jitters, Hogan smiled and said, “I'm strangely calm." 
 
 They were lining-up to see Francis hours before he showed-up at MSG. 
 
 The faithful waiting patiently outside began heading in at 2 p.m. when the doors opened and once inside there they were stuck. The heavy security that had been protecting Francis from the moment he arrived in New York City on Thursday did not allow anybody to leave. 
 
 But nobody seemed to mind. 
 
 Paul Kelaher, 61, who lives upstate in Clifton Park, called Francis a "unique guy" and said he had a more common touch than his predecessor Pope Benedict. 
 
 Pope Francis presides over an interfaith service as he visits National September 11 Memorial and Museum Friday in New York City. (TONY GENTILE/REUTERS) Leaders of different faiths watch Francis speak at the multi-religious service. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Pope Francis, left, is escorted by Timothy Cardinal Dolan through the museum near the Ladder Company 3 truck. (Susan Watts/New York Daily News ) 
 
 "I think he's more open-minded than other popes, in his own way more progressive," he said. "We went from a guy who was wearing Gucci to a guy in a Fiat." 
 
 To pass the time, the faithful said the Rosary, both in English and Spanish, and they sang sacred songs. 
 
 They gazed down on the altar, which was decked-out in the Vatican colors of white and gold. 
 
 And they shopped at the concession stands where Pope-themed merchandise, including Swarovski crystal Rosary beads for $175, "Official Papal NYC 2015" baseball hats for $25, and commemorative Christmas ornaments for $30 were on sale. 
 
 Then at 3:30 p.m., Francis’s warm-up act appeared — West Wing actor Martin Sheen — to start the pre-Mass program. 
 
 “It is a joyful privilege for all of us in Madison Square Garden to welcome Pope Francis to New York City and into our hearts," he said. 
 
 What followed was a show called “A Journey in Faith” that featured other performers like singers Kelli O’Hara, James “D-Train” Williams and Norm Lewis. 
 
 MIRACLE ON FIFTH: POPE FRANCIS IS A 'BREATH OF FRESH AIR' 
 
 Jennifer Hudson belted out "Hallelujah." Harry Connick Jr. did a jazzy version of "How Great Thou Art." Then the Broadway Inspirational Voices, a Grammy-nominated gospel choir, and the St. Charles Borromeo Choir, got the house rocking. 
 
 Late Show host Stephen Colbert, who is a practicing Catholic, pre-taped a video message for Francis. 
 
 "Let me say I'm deeply honored to be part of this historic mass,” he said. “It's a good day for New York, a good day for the world. Enjoy today’s Mass and please say a prayer for me." 
 
 After Mass, Francis heads back to the residence of the Vatican’s rep to the United Nations on E. 72nd St. to rest up after a day during which he logged 54-miles around Manhattan in the popemobile — and his now famous Fiat 500L. 
 
 But Francis won’t be able to sleep-in on Saturday. He’s got a plane to catch to Philadelphia in the morning. 
 
 Earlier, Francis took a spin through Manhattan’s green jewel on Friday with 80,000 of his biggest fans — and let his hair down a bit during one of the fun parts of his first and only full day in the city. 
 
 Still flanked by the heavy security that has been with him every step of the way since he got to Gotham, Francis took the popemobile on a procession down West Drive where he basked in the adoration. 
 
 Soaking up the waning afternoon sunshine, Francis smiled broadly and blessed the cheering throng. 
 
 In Washington, police carried babies over to the car for the Pope to bless. 
 
 But police kept the crowd in the park on a tighter leash — possibly because Francis was already running late for the mass at MSG. 
 
 Pope Francis places a white rose after praying for victims Friday at the September 11, 2001 memorial in New York. (TONY GENTILE/REUTERS) Timothy Cardinal Dolan, left, and the pontiff place flowers on the memorial. (SHANNON STAPLETON/REUTERS) 
 
 The Pope arrived at the park after a grueling and emotional day that began with an address to the United Nations General Assembly and a prayer service at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. 
 
 He got a pick-me-up in East Harlem when he got to meet the kids at Our Lady Queen of Angels School. 
 
 Standing in the popemobile, the 78-year-old leader of the Catholic Church looked refreshed and energized by the show of devotion. 
 
 And when the 15-minute ride-through was over, Francis hopped back into his now famous Fiat 500L for the ride down to MSG, where thousands awaited him — and where a rainbow was spotted. 
 
 For Francis, the ride in the park was a chance to unwind after a wrenching visit to the 9/11 memorial where he made it his mission to mend hearts broken by the tragedy. 
 
 With a handshake and a few quiet words, Francis consoled some of the still-inconsolable relatives of those who perished at the hands of terrorists. And he remembered the heroic cops and firefighters who were killed on that awful day. 
 
 “We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here,” the Pope said in his halting English while standing near the underground flood wall that survived the 2001 terrorist attacks. 
 
 “The heroic first-responders: our firefighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11, 2001.” 
 
 For those who needed comfort the most, the very fact that Francis was there was a balm. 
 
 Pope Francis prays for the victims at the September 11, 2001, memorial in New York. (TONY GENTILE/REUTERS) 
 
 “It speaks volumes, the kind of person that he is, his heart, his soul, his desire to be with and among people who are experiencing some sort of tragedy, even 14 years later,” said Anthoula Katsimatides, whose brother John was killed on 9/11. 
 
 "He's the Holy Father for a lot of us, who aren't even Roman Catholics,” said Debra Burlingame, whose brother Charles was a pilot on the plane that hit the Pentagon. “For me his coming here is acknowledging the best of humanity. We saw a lot terrible things on 911 and the world responded with great love and compassion. He's acknowledging that with us.” 
 
 Among those Francis met with were widows Virginia Bauer, whose husband David perished in the North Tower, and Monica Iken-Murphy, whose husband Michael died in the South Tower. 
 
 “Everyone has a story here,” said a weeping 43-year-old Loretta Sabella, whose firefighter brother Thomas Sabella was killed. “I hope he brings peace to this place, where many have been suffering for the last 13 or 14 years.” 
 
 Francis also blessed wheelchair-bound NYPD Detective Terrance McGhee, a terror specialist who helped bring down Osama Bin Laden’s brother. 
 
 A solemn-looking Francis arrived at 11:11 a.m. and waved to the excited crowd while legions of police officers and Secret Service agents kept watch. 
 
 “Bless us!” some in the crowd yelled out. “If you don't bless us? Who will?!" 
 
 Francis went over to the pool where the South Tower once stood, said a silent prayer and left behind a white rose. He took a moment to take in some of the inscribed names of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks in New York, at the Pentagon and in a lonely Pennsylvania field, as well as in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. 
 
 Then Francis shook hands with former mayor Michael Bloomberg and went over to speak to the grieving families. 
 
 Joining them were Mayor de Blasio, Gov. Cuomo, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and former mayor Rudy Giuliani. Then the Pope descended into the museum for a service that included Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other representatives of the world’s major religions. 
 
 “I can tell you, Papa Francesco, we in New York are sinners," Timothy Cardinal Dolan said at the start of the service. "We have many flaws. We make many mistakes." 
 
 But one of the city's strengths, Dolan said, is cultivating friendship and good will between people of different faiths. "Your prayer, your presence, and your words this morning inspire us,” he said. 
 
 Going back to his native Spanish, Francis said at the service, “I feel many different emotions standing here at Ground Zero, where thousands of lives were taken in a senseless act of destruction.” 
 
 “Here grief is palpable,” he said. 
 
 Francis called the water flowing into the pools where the Twin Towers once stood “the silent cry of those who were victims of a mindset which knows only violence, hatred and revenge.” 
 
 May God bring “peace to our violent world” and to “turn to your way of love” those who justify killing in the name of religion, Francis said. 
 
 One of the most haunting moments of the service was when Cantor Ari Schwarz sang a Jewish prayer for the fallen, his soaring voice echoing through the museum. 
 
 Before he left, the Pope viewed the famous 9/11 cross — two pieces of steel that fused together after the attacks — which became a focal point at Ground Zero. 
 
 After lunch, the Pope headed uptown. 
 
 Earlier, Francis took his campaign to combat global warming to the UN when he condemned the “misuse and destruction of the environment” and the “culture of waste.” 
 
 It was a message Francis had hammered home earlier this week during his White House speech. 
 
 “We human beings are part of the environment,” the Buenos Aires-born pontiff said in Spanish. “Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm to humanity. 
 
 Mankind, he said, “is not authorized to abuse it, nor is he authorized to destroy it.” 
 
 Without naming any names, Francis also accused the world’s powerful countries of a “selfish and boundless thirst” for money. 
 
 Francis said this is not just destroying the planet, but it’s making paupers of the weak and disadvantaged. 
 
 “We are dealing with real men and women who live and struggle and suffer,” he said. “To enable these real men and women to escape from extreme poverty, we must allow them to be dignified agents of their own destiny.” 
 
 The poor, Francis said, have an inherent right to what he called the “three L’s” — lodging, labor and land. 
 
 Pope Francis speaks at the United Nations General Assembly Friday in New York City. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) Before Francis addressed the big shots, he met with about 400 janitors, cooks, electricians and secretaries and other workers who keep the UN going and thanked them. (MIKE SEGAR/REUTERS) 
 
 The Pope also said women and girls have a “right to education.” 
 
 That statement cheered 18-year-old Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani education activist who survived being shot by a Taliban triggerman — and who was in the hall for the papal address. 
 
 A GUIDE TO GETTING AROUND MANHATTAN DURING THE POPE'S VISIT 
 
 Francis was the fifth pope to address the UN. His pro-environment message has been lauded by President Obama and Democrats but has angered some Republicans — especially those with ties to the oil industry who continue to insist global warming is myth. 
 
 The Pope also voiced support for another thing the GOP has fiercely objected to — the Iran nuclear agreement. 
 
 Calling it “proof of the potential for political good will,” Francis said he hopes “it will bring forth the desired fruits with the cooperation of all the parties involved.” 
 
 But Francis also gave social conservatives something to applaud by underscoring the Catholic church’s continued objection to gay marriage, abortion and birth control. 
 
 Before Francis addressed the big shots, he met with some 400 janitors, cooks, electricians and secretaries and other workers who keep the UN going and thanked them for making “possible many of the diplomatic, cultural, economic and political initiatives.” 
 
 “Be close to one another, respect one another,” he said. 
 
 “Thank you for your spiritual guidance ... and love for humanity,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, left, told Pope Francis. (TONY GENTILE/REUTERS) 
 
 Then he asked the workers to pray for him. 
 
 Francis’ humble request prompted a round of cheers, and a broad grin creased the holy man’s face. 
 
 The Vatican flag was flying above the UN when Francis arrived. He was greeted at the world body by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. 
 
 “Thank you for your spiritual guidance ... and love for humanity,” he said. 
 
 Then the Pope signed the UN visitors’ book. The pontiff took a white card from his pocket and copied a lengthy message into the bound book. It was not immediately clear what he wrote. 
 
 When Francis was done, the UN chief showed the pontiff a Norman Rockwell image on the wall called “The Golden Rule” which bears the famous words: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” 
 
 That was a theme Francis sounded on Thursday during his historic address to a joint session of Congress in which he urged lawmakers to embrace the migrants heading north to the U.S. in search of a better life — and the refugees fleeing to Europe to escape the civil war in Syria. 
 
 Francis had been invited to speak to the body by House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican and a Catholic. On Friday, he stunned his colleagues by announcing that he would give up both his leadership post and seat in Congress at the end of October. 
 
 Francis, who had never set foot in New York City before, arrived in the city on Thursday to the strains of a Catholic high school band playing “New York, New York” and then headed into Manhattan for a prayer service at the newly refurbished St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 
 
 “As soon as you walked through the door, you became a New Yorker,” Dolan told the Pope. 
 
 ON A MOBILE DEVICE? WATCH THE FIRST VIDEO HERE. WATCH THE SECOND VIDEO HERE. 
 
 With Thomas Tracy ||||| New York (AFP) - Pope Francis on Friday visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York, where he prayed and laid a white rose at one of the reflecting pools, before he is to lead a multi-faith service for peace. 
 
 The memorial is dedicated to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks and six victims of a first attack on the Twin Towers in 1993. 
 
 The 78-year-old Argentine pontiff clasped his hands together and bowed his head in prayer at one of the two reflecting pools built in tribute to the worst terror attack on US soil. 
 
 After he placed a white rose on the edge of the pool, on which the names of the victims of the 9/11 attacks are inscribed, the crowd broke into chants of "Francisco, Francisco." 
 
 The pope spoke to a group of 9/11 families and responders, before he was to descend into the memorial. He will offer a prayer of remembrance with around 700 representatives of different faiths. 
 
 The memorial occupies eight of the 16 acres on the World Trade Center site, where the Twin Towers were destroyed in the Al-Qaeda attacks that killed 2,753 people. ||||| NEW YORK (AP) — Latest developments in Pope Francis' visit to the United States. All times local: 
 
 Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in New York. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, wait to greet the pope.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Pope Francis touches the cheek of a young girl as he prepares to depart the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican's diplomatic mission in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, en route to Andrews Air Force... (Associated Press) 
 
 Pope Francis greets school children as he departs the Apostolic Nunciature, the Vatican's diplomatic mission in the heart of Washington, en route Andrews Air Force Base, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. (AP... (Associated Press) 
 
 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his girlfriend Sandra Lee attend an evening prayer service lead by Pope Francis at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in New York. (Aristide Economopoulos... (Associated Press) 
 
 Pope Francis reaches out to 5th grader Omodele Ojo, of the Brooklyn borough of New York, as he is greeted while arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in New York.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Pope Francis, center, waves to a crowd along with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, left, as he rides down Fifth Avenue in the pope mobile on his way to St. Patrick's Cathedral to lead an evening prayer service,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Faithful cheer as Pope Francis enters St. Patrick's Cathedral to lead an evening prayer service Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) (Associated Press) 
 
 Pope Francis and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, right, embrace during an evening prayer service at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in New York. (Robert Deutsch/USA Today via AP, Pool) (Associated Press) 
 
 Pope Francis, accompanied by, from left, Vice President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Pope Francis is greeted by New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio, right, Sen. Charles Schumer, center, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as he arrives at St. Patrick's Cathedral to lead an evening prayer service,... (Associated Press) 
 
 U.S. Presidential Candidate Donald Trump greets the crowd gathered in front of the Trump Tower ahead of the arrival of the pope's motorcade Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen) (Associated Press) 
 
 11 p.m. 
 
 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (KWOH'-moh) and his longtime partner, celebrity chef Sandra Lee, had a few moments with the pope after the prayer service at St. Patrick's Cathedral. 
 
 An aide to the governor says Pope Francis bestowed a blessing on Lee, who recently announced she is cancer free after a double mastectomy. 
 
 The aide says Cuomo also asked the pope to pray for his late father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:20 p.m. 
 
 The Vatican spokesman has denied claims by advocates for victims that the pope has given short shrift to their suffering in his remarks on the clergy sex-abuse crisis. 
 
 The Rev. Federico Lombardi says Pope Francis has acknowledged victims by referring to children as the most vulnerable members of the church and speaking of child molestation as a crime. 
 
 Lombardi also noted Thursday that the pope has three more days of public events in the U.S., suggesting that further comments are ahead. 
 
 In two separate speeches, the pope has commended U.S. bishops for their response to victims and said he understood clergy had "suffered greatly" because of the shame from the scandal. 
 
 The crisis erupted in 2002 in the Archdiocese of Boston, then spread across the country and overseas. 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:50 p.m. 
 
 Nuns who heard Pope Francis' strong message of support and thanks for their work are exuberant about his praise, which comes after a trying time for U.S. religious sisters. 
 
 Sister Gertrude Lily of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary says she's "very grateful for him recognizing that we, too, are disciples of the Lord." 
 
 Speaking at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Francis described nuns as "women of strength" and "fighters" who had a "spirit of courage" as they served at the forefront of the church. 
 
 His words held enormous significance for U.S. sisters. They had been the subject of Vatican investigations under his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. The Vatican offices that guard orthodoxy had accused the group of straying broadly from church teaching. The nuns denied it. 
 
 Sister Mary Alice Kizita Otoo of the Handmaids of the Divine Redeemer of Accra also was at St. Patrick's to hear the pope speak. She says nuns appreciate that the pope is talking about their good works, and he has inspired her "to yearn to be there more for the poor." 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:20 p.m. 
 
 The priest who gave Pope Francis a blessing before the first-ever papal address to Congress had no expectation he would even be asked. 
 
 That's according to the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi. He says the Rev. Patrick Conroy was excited just to meet the pope and didn't anticipate that Francis would ask him for his blessing. 
 
 Conroy is the Catholic chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives. He placed his hands on Francis' head, which was bowed in prayer. 
 
 Francis often asks other clergy to bless him and constantly asks the faithful to pray for him. 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:10 p.m. 
 
 While Pope Francis' remarks at a prayer service at St. Patrick's Cathedral were reflections on the life of the church, plenty of those involved in the workings of the state were on hand for his first stop in New York City. 
 
 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio (dih BLAH'-zee-oh), and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (SHOO'-mur) were among them. 
 
 Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump wasn't at the service but watched from a balcony in nearby Trump Tower as the pontiff's motorcade drove by. 
 
 ___ 
 
 8:30 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis has left St. Patrick's Cathedral after consoling priests for having to "bear the shame" of the clergy sex-abuse scandal, thanking America's nuns and offering a prayer for Muslims killed in the hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia. 
 
 The pope's remarks — his first in New York City — came during evening prayers at the cathedral. 
 
 The pontiff gradually made his way out, shaking hands with nuns and others, blessing a girl and a boy who was passed through the crowd by his father. Then he got in his Fiat, waved to the crowds still gathered outside and drove off. 
 
 As Francis rests ahead of a packed day, he's expected to stay at the home of the Vatican's ambassador to the United Nations, Archbishop Bernardito Auza. 
 
 The pope's schedule Friday includes addressing world leaders at the United Nations, participating in an interfaith service at the Sept. 11 memorial museum, visiting a school and taking a processional drive through Central Park. He will celebrate Mass at Madison Square Garden. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:45 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis has made his strongest expression yet of respect and gratitude for American nuns during a prayer service at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. 
 
 Francis described religious sisters as "women of strength" and "fighters" who had a "spirit of courage" as they served at the forefront of the church. He said he wanted to offer "a big thank-you and to tell you that I love you very much." 
 
 Nuns in the pews erupted in applause on hearing the pope's words. They held enormous significance for U.S. sisters, who had been the subject of Vatican investigations under his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. 
 
 The Vatican offices that guards orthodoxy had ordered an overhaul of the largest umbrella group for U.S. sisters, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, accusing the group of straying broadly from church teaching, which the nuns denied. 
 
 The investigation prompted a nationwide outpouring on behalf of the nuns and a backlash against the Vatican and U.S. bishops. Francis ended the overhaul process this year, nearly two years ahead of schedule, with no major changes for the sisters' association and his thanks for their work. 
 
 The remarks were his second major gesture in support of nuns on the U.S. trip so far. In Washington on Wednesday, he paid a surprise visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious order that runs homes for poor senior citizens. The religious order is suing the Obama administration. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:40 p.m. 
 
 The pope has again raised the clergy sex-abuse crisis, by consoling clergy for the suffering the scandal had caused them. 
 
 Francis told members of religious orders and diocesan priests he was aware they had "suffered greatly" by having to "bear the shame" of clergy who had molested children. He thanked them for their faithful service to the church in the face of the scandal. 
 
 The pope made the comments at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. He made similar comments in an address to bishops Wednesday in Washington. 
 
 The comments have angered advocates for victims, who say American bishops only took decisive action to stop perpetrators when lawsuits and government investigations revealed documents that showed the scope of the problem. The abuse crisis erupted in 2002 with the case of one pedophile priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, then spread. 
 
 A Vatican spokesman defended the pope's remarks, saying it was appropriate to recognize the bishops' extensive reforms over more than a decade in response to the scandal. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:20 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis has expressed his solidarity with Muslims following the hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia, where more than 700 people were killed. 
 
 Francis opened his visit to New York by offering a prayer for the victims from the altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral. 
 
 Francis said he wanted to offer a "sentiment of closeness in light of the tragedy" that the Muslim people had suffered on Thursday. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:15 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis is praying vespers — the formal term for evening prayers — at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. 
 
 Members of the clergy and religious orders have filled the grand, gothic-style cathedral for the service. 
 
 As Francis made his way down the long central aisle to the altar, he occasionally stopped to greet people in the pews, including a a girl in a wheelchair and a mother holding a baby. 
 
 The girl wiped at her eyes, as if to whisk away tears, after he blessed her. 
 
 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and other elected officials are attending the service. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:50 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis has arrived at St. Patrick's Cathedral to begin his New York visit with evening prayers at one of the nation's best-known churches. 
 
 Thousands of people lined up along Fifth Avenue to greet him with cheers as he made his way in his open-sided popemobile to the center of one of the nation's largest Roman Catholic archdioceses. 
 
 The cathedral's bells pealed as Francis waved to and blessed the crowd, even giving the occasional thumbs-up. 
 
 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer and other dignitaries greeted him on the cathedral steps. 
 
 The 136-year-old cathedral just underwent a three-year, $175 million restoration, the most extensive work there in decades. 
 
 About 5 million people visit St. Patrick's each year. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:25 p.m. 
 
 A disabled 12-year-old girl and her family say she has new hope after Pope Francis blessed her as he arrived in New York City. 
 
 Julia Buzzese (boo-SAY'-zee) sat in her wheelchair as her family eagerly waited for Francis at John F. Kennedy Airport, hoping the pope they admire would bless her. 
 
 As he greeted the crowd of about 200, he walked over to Julia. She and her mother, Josephine, asked him to bless her. He put his hands on her forehead, nodded and gave her his blessing. 
 
 Julia says it made her "so happy." She says she thinks it will make her feel better. 
 
 Julia abruptly became unable to walk in May. Her mother says doctors have been unable to determine what is wrong with her. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:05 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis has arrived in Manhattan by helicopter and hopped into a Fiat hatchback, traveling in the same modest style as he did in Washington. 
 
 The military helicopter touched down at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport near Wall Street after a short flight from John F. Kennedy Airport. He landed there after flying in from Washington. 
 
 Francis is headed to St. Patrick's Cathedral for evening prayers in a charcoal gray, four-door Fiat 500L with a yellow papal flag on the hood. 
 
 The pope has eschewed limousines on his U.S. trip in favor of far smaller, Italian-made Fiats. 
 
 In general, he has made a point of traveling in modest cars, as part of his emphasis on simplicity and rejecting consumerism. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:45 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis is en route to Manhattan by helicopter after arriving at New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport. 
 
 As he boarded the military helicopter, he gave a final wave to the invited crowd of 200 that had gathered to greet him when he flew in from Washington. 
 
 The pope dispensed Mass cards, handshakes and some hugs to the cheering onlookers. 
 
 Francis is flying to the Downtown Manhattan Heliport near Wall Street in the helicopter, built by Sikorsky Aircraft. 
 
 Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York is aboard. The two are headed to St. Patrick's Cathedral for evening prayers. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:35 p.m. 
 
 A crowd of 200 people is cheering and waving hand-held Vatican flags as a smiling Pope Francis arrives at New York City's John F. Kennedy Airport. 
 
 Francis doffed his skullcap in the breeze as he made his way down the plane's stairs after flying in from Washington. 
 
 Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York gave Francis a hug and a kiss as the pope stepped onto the tarmac, and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzo of Brooklyn greeted him with a warm handshake. 
 
 A high-school band played "New York, New York" as Francis made his way to the crowd, where Catholic schoolchildren were waiting to present him with a bouquet and a collection of prayers written by students in the city's 86 Catholic schools. 
 
 He's handing out Mass cards, giving hugs and speaking with onlookers as people take cellphone photos. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:10 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis has landed in New York City to begin a visit that will take him from the United Nations to a school that sits amid public housing in East Harlem. 
 
 His chartered American Airlines plane has touched down at John F. Kennedy Airport, bringing the pontiff to the United States' largest city. 
 
 The 200-person welcoming party includes Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and five Catholic schoolchildren. It's the first papal trip to New York since Pope Benedict XVI visited in April 2008. 
 
 Francis is headed first to St. Patrick's Cathedral for Thursday evening prayers. 
 
 Earlier Thursday, he gave the first-ever papal speech to the U.S. Congress, urging lawmakers to treat immigrants "in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal." 
 
 ___ 
 
 4:55 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis is on his way to New York City, and about 200 people have gathered to welcome him at the airport. 
 
 Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, five Catholic schoolchildren and other guests gathered at John F. Kennedy Airport as snipers stood atop police vehicles. Law enforcement officers also are doing security sweeps of arriving planes. 
 
 Brooklyn Diocese spokeswoman Rocio Fidalgo says the five students were chosen based on their academic performance and attendance at Mass. 
 
 Francis is headed to the United States' biggest city after three days in Washington. He gave the first-ever papal speech to the U.S. Congress on Thursday morning, urging lawmakers to treat immigrants "in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal." 
 
 It's the first papal trip to New York since Pope Benedict XVI visited in April 2008. 
 
 ___ 
 
 4:45 p.m. 
 
 Some 450 students from Catholic schools and religious education programs joined Secretary of State John Kerry and hundreds of military members and their families in giving Pope Francis a warm send-off from Washington. 
 
 The pope is now on his way to New York. As he neared the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base, the students chanted: "We love Francis, yes we do. We love Francis, how 'bout you?" 
 
 The pope spoke with Kerry and his wife for about five minutes before walking up the stairs to his plane, turning to the crowd and waving goodbye. 
 
 The Secret Service and some journalists stuck around after Francis' plane left. They are awaiting Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival less than an hour later for two days of meetings in Washington. 
 
 ___ 
 
 3:40 p.m. 
 
 After a day of speaking to the powerful and mingling with the poor in Washington, Pope Francis is leaving the city for New York. 
 
 Francis made a last round of greetings and selfies with Washington-area students, pausing to pat a little girl's face and touch boys' heads as he made his way to the black Fiat carrying him to Andrews Air Force Base. 
 
 He will fly to Kennedy Airport, where his greeting party includes Cardinal Timothy Dolan and 200 indigent people. 
 
 Francis' plans Thursday evening include a motorcade along Fifth Avenue and a vespers service at St. Patrick's Cathedral. 
 
 He speaks to the U.N. General Assembly on Friday, visits the 9/11 Memorial and goes to Madison Square Garden for a Mass with thousands of people. 
 
 Then it's on to Philadelphia for the weekend. 
 
 ___ 
 
 2:15 p.m. 
 
 In his Washington visit, Pope Francis delivered his message of compassion and unity at a moment of particular turmoil for Congress. 
 
 The threat of a partial government shutdown looms next week unless lawmakers can resolve a dispute over funding for women's health services at Planned Parenthood, which also performs abortions and provides fetal tissue for researchers. 
 
 Francis didn't join that controversy, alluding only in passing to the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion when he noted, to applause, "our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development." 
 
 He was more direct in speaking out to the lawmakers about other issues they wrestle with, such as the death penalty, climate change and immigration. 
 
 He reminded the representatives and senators that they have been called to work that "is always based on care for the people." 
 
 ___ 
 
 1:50 p.m. 
 
 A number of presidential candidates took time from the divisive 2016 campaign to attend the pope's speech to Congress. 
 
 Republicans Ben Carson and Chris Christie came as invited guests. Also attending, senators who are in the 2016 race: Republicans Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham; and Democrat Bernie Sanders. 
 
 Some found the pope's words hard to make out at times because of his accent and low-key speaking style. 
 
 Carson says he liked the pope's themes about taking care of life, the family and the environment. Asked whether the pope said anything that bothered him, Carson said: "Not that I could understand." 
 
 Cruz said that "at times, not everyone could make out precisely what he was saying." 
 
 Sanders liked that the pope singled out Dorothy Day, a Catholic activist for labor unions and human rights in the last century, as an American who helped shape the nation's values. 
 
 ___ 
 
 1:40 p.m. 
 
 The White House says President Barack Obama had time to watch some of Pope Francis' historic address to Congress. 
 
 Spokesman Josh Earnest says Obama was struck by the pope's message both to leaders and citizens of the U.S. 
 
 In the first-ever papal address to a joint meeting of Congress, Francis urged lawmakers to embrace the immigrant "stranger in our midst," called for action to counter climate change and urged an end to the death penalty. 
 
 ___ 
 
 1:30 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis didn't get a Supreme Court majority. 
 
 Four of the nine justices — Chief Justice John Roberts and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy and Sonia Sotomayor — were in the House chamber to hear the pope. 
 
 Roberts, Kennedy and Sotomayor are three of the court's six Catholic justices. They also attended Wednesday's mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. 
 
 The other Catholic justices are Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. 
 
 Ginsburg is one of three Jews on the high court, along with Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan. 
 
 ___ 
 
 1 p.m. 
 
 Lawmakers known for feuding bitterly oozed civility and decorum when they came together to hear the pope — but their partisan differences occasionally showed through. 
 
 Rep. Nydia Velazquez, a New York Democrat, let out a whoop when Pope Francis called for abolishing the death penalty. 
 
 Other Democrats rose to applaud when the pope urged action on climate change. 
 
 Some Republicans, including South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, stood when the pope cited his opposition to abortion. 
 
 Those reactions were reminiscent of the much more openly partisan gatherings in the same chamber to hear presidents' State of the Union addresses, when Republicans and Democrats traditionally pop up to applaud different lines. 
 
 ___ 
 
 12:45 p.m. 
 
 Pope Francis brought comfort to a more modest gathering after speaking to Congress and thousands of people cheering from the lawn. 
 
 Outside the Catholic Charities building in Washington, the pope walked among tables where homeless and needy people were eating and blessed the meal. 
 
 Francis also spoke to about 400 people at St. Patrick Church, including the homeless, parishioners of the church and Catholic Charities staff. He waded into the crowd and hugged people. 
 
 Ramona Service of Washington was among those who have been served by Catholic Charities and were invited to hear the pope speak 
 
 Service received help from Catholic Charities with funeral expenses when her son died in April. 
 
 She says Francis spoke "from the heart" and calls him "a very giving, sensible pope." 
 
 Sherrie May, 33, says the pope leaned over to kiss her 5-month-old daughter Rebecca on the head. Says May: "It was amazing." 
 
 ___ 
 
 12:15 p.m. 
 
 House Speaker John Boehner has tried for 20 years to get a pope to address Congress. So it's no surprise that the lawmaker known for frequently shedding tears found himself trying to hold them back once more. 
 
 After the speech, Boehner accompanied Pope Francis to the speaker's balcony of the Capitol, where the pontiff greeted the tens of thousands on the lawn and offered a prayer. 
 
 Standing next to the pope, Boehner, who is Catholic, was visibly moved. Fighting back tears, he pulled out a handkerchief to blow his nose. 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:40 a.m. 
 
 Fresh off his historic speech to Congress and greetings to a crowd of tens of thousands, Pope Francis addressed one of smallest gatherings of his U.S. visit. 
 
 Francis spoke to roughly 400 people at St. Patrick's Church in downtown Washington, addressing parishioners, people served by Catholic Charities and choirs from two local high schools. He called for charity and compassion toward the homeless and the least fortunate. And he said there is no social or moral justification for a lack of housing for the people. 
 
 Afterward, he was going to help serve lunch to homeless people who are regularly fed by Catholic Charities. 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:30 a.m. 
 
 Tens of thousands who gathered on the front lawn of the Capitol stood quietly and attentively as they listened to Pope Francis speak inside to a joint meeting of Congress. 
 
 The largest applause came when Francis invoked the Golden Rule — do unto others as you would have them do unto you — in reference to the Syrian refugee crisis. 
 
 He also received steady applause when he spoke about defending human life at every stage of development and about the joy of marriage and family life. 
 
 Mostly, though, the crowd listened quietly to a speech that was not always easily understood, given the pope's accent and the acoustics of the Capitol lawn. 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:20 a.m. 
 
 From the balcony of the U.S. Capitol, Pope Francis asked a crowd of tens of thousands to pray for him. 
 
 It's a plea he traditionally makes. But this time, speaking in Spanish, he added a line to acknowledge that not everyone in the crowd was Christian, much less a believer. 
 
 Through a translator, the pontiff said: "If among you there are some who don't believe or who cannot pray, I ask that you send good wishes my way." 
 
 After his speech to Congress, the pope walked onto a balcony of the Capitol and greeted the throngs with "Buenos Dias." 
 
 He expressed gratitude for their presence and asked God to bless "the most important ones here — children." 
 
 Francis ended his remarks in English, saying "Thank you very much and God bless America." The crowd cheered boisterously. 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:10 a.m. 
 
 Pope Francis has taken his call for action on climate change to Congress. In his address to lawmakers, Francis urged a "courageous and responsible effort" to avert the most serious effects of what he called the "environmental deterioration caused by human activity." 
 
 Francis says he's convinced that working together, nations can make a difference to slow global warming. He says the U.S. and "this Congress" have an important role to play. Now, he says, is the time for a "culture of care." 
 
 ___ 
 
 11 a.m. 
 
 Pope Francis is lamenting that the very basis of marriage and family life today is being put into question — an allusion to gay marriage in a country that recently legalized same-sex marriage across the land. 
 
 Speaking before Congress in the first-ever papal address, Francis said the family today is "threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without." 
 
 While Francis has shown great openness to gays as individuals, he has staunchly upheld the church teaching that marriage is a union between man and woman. 
 
 Sitting in front of Francis for his speech was John Roberts, chief justice of the Supreme Court, which legalized gay marriage across the country. 
 
 Francis is expected to speak in greater depth about the threats to families at a big church rally in Philadelphia later this week. 
 
 ___ 
 
 11 a.m. 
 
 Pope Francis is demanding an end to the arms trade, delivering a tough message to a country that is the world's largest exporter of weapons. 
 
 Speaking before Congress, the pope asked why weapons are being sold to people who intend only to inflict suffering on innocents. He said: "Sadly, the answer as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood." 
 
 Francis has in the past denounced weapons makers and dealers as "the root of evil" and questioned how weapons manufacturers can call themselves Christian. 
 
 Francis has, however, said that it is legitimate to use military force against an "unjust aggression," such as the attacks by Islamic extremists against Christian and other religious minorities in Syria and Iraq. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:35 a.m. 
 
 Speaking to Congress, Pope Francis is calling for an end to the death penalty in the U.S. and across the world. 
 
 Francis says that every life is sacred and society can only benefit from rehabilitating those convicted of crimes. 
 
 The pope noted that U.S. bishops have renewed their call to abolish capital punishment. That idea is unpopular, however, with many American politicians. 
 
 The pontiff did not specifically mention abortion — a particularly contentious issue in Congress at the moment that threatens to force the shutdown of the U.S. government next week. 
 
 Still, his remarks referred to the Catholic church's opposition to abortion. He urged lawmakers and all Americans to "protect and defend human life at every stage of its development." 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:30 a.m. 
 
 Pope Francis is urging Congress members — and the United States as a whole — not to be afraid of immigrants but to welcome them as fellow human beings. 
 
 He says people are not things that can be discarded just because they are troublesome. 
 
 The pontiff's admonition comes as the presidential race is roiled by questions about immigration from Mexico and Latin America, and the nation is weighing how many migrants to accept from wars in the Middle East. 
 
 The son of Italian immigrants to Argentina himself, Francis noted that the United States was founded by immigrants, that many lawmakers are descended from foreigners, and that this generation must not "turn their back on our neighbors." 
 
 His plea: "Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated." 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:15 a.m. 
 
 Pope Francis is calling for a "delicate balance" in fighting religious extremism to ensure that fundamental freedoms aren't trampled at the same time. 
 
 He says in his speech to Congress that "no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism." 
 
 He says religious, intellectual and individual freedoms must be safeguarded, while combatting violence perpetrated in the name of religion. 
 
 The pope cautions against simplistically breaking the world into camps of good and evil. 
 
 Francis has expressed deep concern about the slaughter of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East at the hands of Islamic extremists, fearing that the Christian presence in the region is risk. He's dispatched envoys to Iraq with money and other forms of assistance to help refugees. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:05 a.m. 
 
 Pope Francis has opened his historic speech to Congress by describing himself as a "son of this great continent" joined in a common purpose with America. 
 
 The Argentine-born pope is the first from the Americas. His speech to Congress is the first by any pontiff.
– At a reflecting pool at the 9/11 Memorial, Pope Francis prayed and laid a white rose before leading a multi-faith service for peace today. "Francisco, Francisco," the crowd chanted after he placed the rose on the pool's edge, according to AFP. The pontiff met with 9/11 families and responders, including two widows, before the service; he blessed a wheelchair-bound NYPD detective who helped catch Osama bin Laden's brother. The service included a prayer of remembrance: "We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here," he said, per the New York Daily News. Also at the service: Mayor Bill de Blasio, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Chuck Schumer, former mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and representatives of other major religions.