Tix for pope on the parkway not public

WANT TO GET INTO the ticketed areas for Pope Francis' appearances on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway?

Well, if you're not a practicing Catholic who belongs to a parish, you really haven't got a prayer.

Organizers with the World Meeting of Families announced yesterday that the tickets for the ticketed areas - otherwise known as the good seats - at the Festival of Families and the papal mass on the parkway would not be available to the public.

Instead, the World Meeting will distribute the tickets to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's 219 parishes, surrounding dioceses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, Project HOME, ministerial outreach programs of Catholic Social Services, representatives of other faith communities and World Meeting of Families participants, according to a news release.

But what about the pig farmer traveling halfway across the world from Vietnam? Or the Center City agonistic whose life will be upended by the papal visit?

Or how about Michael Bayer, the director of outreach and education at the University of Iowa Newman Catholic Student Center who has spent months planning and fundraising so he could bring a bus load of 50 college kids to the papal events in Philly?

"Today's announcement leaves me unsure whether it is worth our efforts," Bayer said. "The bus ride is 18 hours each way, our college students are missing classes and requesting to retake exams, and now it appears that we will not even be able to gain access to the Ben Franklin Parkway to participate in the Mass as planned."

In a statement, Donna Crilley Farrell, executive director of the World Meeting, tried to put a positive spin on the news by saying that the World Meeting's message remains "Join us and be part of history."

"It is important to be clear that the announcement of limited ticketing does not limit participation in these events in any way," she said. "There is plenty of room for all who wish to attend."

Just not in the front row. Or the first 50. Or maybe even the first 500.

In fact, anywhere between 20th Street and Eakins Oval on the parkway will require a ticket, but organizers stressed that the ticketed area only makes up 15 percent of the parkway and that all events will be shown on 40 Jumbotrons throughout the festival grounds. Organizers added that all events in New York City and D.C. are being ticketed as well.

The only opportunity that regular Joes and Janes have to score a ticket at one of Pope Francis' three public appearances in Philadelphia will be at Independence Hall.

Organizers said 5,000 tickets for Pope Francis' Saturday afternoon speech at Independence Hall will be made available to the public online on a first-come, first-serve basis Sept. 8. More information will be released about how to obtain those tickets on Friday.

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