A fond farewell
Pope John Paul II's visit to the United States comes to a close this weekend with enormous masses in two cities, writes Barbara Moffatt.
The cardinal rule about New York City's Central Park is not to go in the dark. But for some 123,000 Catholics attending Saturday morning mass there, the advice from organizers was to come long before the sun rose. "We came to the park at 3:30 a.m.," said 17-year-old Gabriella Padilla, who came with 30 classmates from Mexico. "So we are very tired, but also very happy that we can see the Pope." When the Pope arrived, the crowd, some crying and many rapt with emotion, chanted "John Paul II, we love you," in Spanish and English. They heard Placido Domingo sing "Panis Angelicus," and applauded a 225-member choir of local parishioners. But they roared during the sermon when the Pope sang a song in Polish from his youth.
"Being here today is going to be emotional food for the rest of the week," said 28-year-old Christian Robison, a non-Catholic who flew from Texas to see the Pope. "They're treating him as a celebrity, but shoot! However you get people out here to hear him is fine." The 75-year-old Pontiff ends a four-day visit to the U.S. Sunday in Baltimore with mass at Camden Yards and lunch at a soup kitchen. He said that he came "as a pilgrim of peace and understanding among peoples." At the UN and in public masses, the Pope repeated that theme, appealing for unity and U.S. leadership in world affairs. During Friday's mass in Queens, NY, the Holy Father drew on images of the "enormous metropolis of New York" as a symbol of America, a nation strong enough to be a world peace broker but where "extravagant affluence often conceals much hardship and poverty." He asked Americans to pay more attention to the poor. Although there were few visible protests throughout the week, feminist and gay groups rallied in New York City Saturday afternoon because they feared the Pope's visit would galvanize conservatives. They defended the sexual freedoms and reproductive rights the Catholic Church condemns. For many New Yorkers, the Pope's visit meant gridlock, closed streets and annoyingly tight security. But, no matter their religion, many shrugged off the hubbub and hassles. Even among non-Catholics, the Pope inspired affection. Click here for their comments, reported by Josh Fine.
The faithful began to gather outside the park at 2 o'clock in the morning. They sang and shared the precious few donuts available at that hour of the night. When police finally opened the park at 5 a.m., thousands of people made their way to the Great Lawn to see the biggest star attraction in the world. 
"John Paul II, we love you!" (68k au file)
Although the masses were subdued, the crowds were festive beforehand. At New Jersey's Giants Stadium, some 83,000 people who waited restlessly for the Pope started the ultimate sporting event time-killer: a giant Wave. Teenage girls wandered in the hallways chanting, "We love Jesus, yes we do! We love Jesus, how about you?"
