Pope Francis to visit 9/11 Memorial and Museum

When Pope Francis comes to New York, he will visit the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. He will come in through West Street and walk right down a path in between the north and south pools. The pope will then approach the south pool, surrounded by a thousand people from the 9/11 community including family members and first responders.

Joe Daniels, the president of the memorial and museum, will be there next to Pope Francis during the tour. He said the foundation hall, where the museum was dedicated 15 months ago, will be the setting for a multi religious ceremony. The pope will lead a prayer with 600 people in front of the slurry wall. It was one of the foundation walls built in the 1960s to create a so-called bathtub where the two towers were placed.   

Right in front of the wall, the Pope will see the last column, covered in what Daniels calls graffiti or remembrance, pictures, and mass cards. The pope should continue through the museum to see the World Trade Center cross and other artifacts recovered from the site.

Sharing these special pieces with his Holiness will help the world reflect on a moment of New York City's history that does not divide us, but unites us.