Local priest excited about pope’s visit to US

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The head of the Catholic Church landed in the United States Tuesday, and many Catholic leaders are looking forward to his arrival. While some criticize Pope Francis for being too liberal, some local priests say he advocates for those who don’t have a voice.

They say he has been more interactive with the media and more progressive than others before him.

Fr. Bob Kus, of the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary in Wilmington, said Pope Francis is an advocate for protecting the planet and he gives a voice to the poor, the sick, the mentally ill and those who are marginalized in society. He said the pope has been more interactive with the media and more progressive than others before him.

Fr. Kus said while many people are critical of the pope’s stance on issues, Francis is just pushing the Catholic message, which is to treat people with dignity and to be inclusive.

“It’s exciting, because this his first time in this country, and the United States is a very important county in the world, and he is a very important leader, and bringing the two together is, I think, very exciting,” Kus said.

Pope Francis’s visit to Washington, DC, will last through Thursday. It will include a landmark address to Congress, which none of the previous three popes who visited the US has done. From there, he will travel to New York City, where he will stay until Saturday morning, when he will travel to Philadelphia. He will stay in Philadelphia until Sunday night, when he takes an evening flight back to the Vatican after a public mass expected to draw more than a million people Sunday afternoon.