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For Pope Francis: Andrea Bocelli, Juanes, orchestra to perform

ROME - Finding an opening act for the pope is no easy task. Organizers of Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia announced Tuesday that the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and the Colombian pop star Juanes, along with the Philadelphia Orchestra, will headline the Saturday free concert on the eve of Pope Francis' Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in September.

Singers Juanes , left, and Andrea Bocelli, above, will be among the performers on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with some acts yet to be named.
Singers Juanes , left, and Andrea Bocelli, above, will be among the performers on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with some acts yet to be named.Read more

ROME - Finding an opening act for the pope is no easy task.

Organizers of Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia announced Tuesday that the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and the Colombian pop star Juanes, along with the Philadelphia Orchestra, will headline the Saturday free concert on the eve of Pope Francis' Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in September.

The pope - and as many as 1.5 million people - are expected to attend the Festival of Families performance on the last night of the World Meeting of Families, the Catholic Church's huge faith-and-families congress that week. The concert will also feature yet-to-be-announced, high-profile acts.

"I'm thrilled such incredible talent with tremendous global reach can join us on the Parkway," Mayor Nutter said at a news conference at the Pontifical North American College, a seminary near the Vatican.

"Our Parkway has seen many great performers, of course. ... Now, I love Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and, of course, Philly's own house band, the Roots, but there's something quite magical about the idea, the thought, the vision, of Pope Francis being on stage in our city with Andrea Bocelli, Juanes, and the Philadelphia Orchestra all at the same time."

The orchestra will also take part in the papal Mass and provide the liturgical music for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's 500-member choir.

The lineup for the Sept. 26 concert was announced on Day Two of a trip to Rome by Nutter, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, and community and business leaders to finalize plans for the trip and the World Meeting of Families.

Allison Vulgamore, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, told reporters on the lawn of the seminary, "It is incredible to play even a small part on an occasion filled with such magnitude. It's rare for such a grand event as this papal visit to Philadelphia to be tempered by a person of such humility. ... His appeal is universal. We believe our art has a universal invocation. It has the ability to transcend what might normally separate us."

The delegation of 35 also toured the seminary, where nearly 300 men are enrolled.

The seminary has at least two direct ties to the Philadelphia region. Its head, Msgr. James F. Checchio, is a native of Camden and serves as chaplain to the Eagles. The altar of the seminary's chapel is adorned with a huge mosaic of the Virgin Mary, donated to the school by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Phillip Dufour, 22, of Providence, R.I., in his first year at the college, took the group on a tour. He showed off the cafeteria, a small chapel, playing fields, and a view from the top of the school, which overlooks St. Peter's Basilica.

"It's amazing and very profound to experience literally being at the center of the church, under the dome of St. Peter's," said Dufour, who is assigned to ministering in St. Peter's Square.

Dufour met Francis two weeks ago when the pope visited the school, but said he won't be able to come home to the United States in September because of his classes.

"It's OK, though," he said. "He's in my backyard."

The Philadelphia Orchestra's participation in the Festival of Families concert will be much in the spirit of its annual Academy Ball, with the ensemble presumably performing lighter classics and appearing with pop music figures.

"To perform for His Holiness Pope Francis, and to be in service for the events celebrating his generous visit to our city, is a high honor," Vulgamore said. "We're thrilled to be joined by Philadelphia's archdiocesan choir for what promises to be a very special papal Mass for our communities, and broadcast to world audiences."

Bocelli has long played on both the pop and classical sides of the fence, giving concerts crowned with his 1996 pop hit, "Time to Say Goodbye" - one of the best-selling singles of all time - but mostly singing traditional arias with seasoned sopranos. He has sold about 75 million records.

Juanes (a conflation of Juan Esteban Aristizabal Vasquez's first two names) has won two Grammys and 20 Latin Grammys, and is hugely popular throughout Latin America. The 42-year-old native of Medellin has an activist streak and has long campaigned for the banning of land mines; in 2005, Time named him one of the world's 100 most influential people.

The artists are performing free.

On Tuesday, the delegation also went on a private tour of the Vatican Gardens. In the evening, Chaput and Nutter attended a meeting at the Pontifical Council for Families along with the city representatives on the trip: Chief Inspector Joseph Sullivan, the police homeland security commander; Samantha Phillips, director of emergency management; Jazelle Jones, deputy managing director; Desiree Peterkin-Bell, director of communications; and Deputy Mayor Everett Gillision.

Peterkin-Bell said no taxpayer money was used to pay for the trip to Rome.