al jazeera america's hard-hitting... >> today they will be arrested. >> ground-breaking... >> they're firing canisters of gas at us. >> award winning investigative documentary series. >> you're looking at a live picture from philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. and pope francis will be making his way through crowds of people right there at independence hall. it's his first visit to the united states, and later this hour, he's going to speak at independence hall. and it's where the declaration of independence and the confusion were both adopted.

it's an historic site and the backdrop for the pope to talk about religious prepare and immigration. good afternoon, i'm john seigenthaler, and welcome to our special coverage of pope francis in america. the head of theology at ford university, and sally quinn of the washington post. [ audio difficulties ] welcome to both of you, and give me your reaction to what you've seen in philadelphia, sally. >> i've never seen such security in my entire life. all the time [ audio difficulties ] that's about it. but the streets are blocked, just completely roped off and people can't get anywhere, you can't walk. and people went through security and had hairspray and deodorant taken away from them, and it's just extraordinary. >> and patrick, we're sitting on the stage, actually, where the pope is going to speak.

and i want to mention michael nutter, the mayor of philadelphia, and we're going to hear from the governor of pennsylvania, and in just a little while, we'll hear from the archbishop of the philadelphia diocese. and what is the pope trying to accomplish in philadelphia? >> this whole leg, even before he game pope, the world meeting of families, the vatican convention that meets every year somewhere around the world, will be in philadelphia. and the question was whether pope francis would with take up that invitation to philadelphia. and the answer was yes. catholic teachings on the family, and sometimes quite controversial teachings, in the development of gay rights in the united states, and

religious freedom. >> religious freedom is going to be an important part of his talk today. but i want to go back to security. going through the checkpoints and watching them. and tell us how the security is for people getting in? >> it is an incredible security operation here. and there are barricades like this one, all around the perimeter of where the preparations for the pope are taking place. there are about a dozen of these checkpoints, and that doesn't seem like a lot. but when you get a million people through the security, people are going through magtometers, and they have opened up their bags, and thousands of security personnel are trying to screen all of the people coming in for the pope's event. it's not like something that you've ever seen before. we were in washington d.c. this week, and that's a big security operation. but what they have done here in philadelphia is pretty

unprecedented. and this operation runs 24 hours a day as long as the pope is here. and it's immense. there are concrete barricades around the perimeter, and then there are barricades marking where the parade is going to go later today and watch and see the pope. but again, a massive security operation, and they have all of people in and they have to get them out as well. so it's barricade city here in philadelphia. >> usher, let me ask you, there were concerns about the city being completely shut down by security that it kept a lot of people from coming out and do you get any sense about that? yes, we have heard from a lot of people who live in the area and they say getting in and out of here is difficult. that's one of the big challenges. we happen to be on the outskirts, and we're not inside of the area. once you get outside, it's fine, but inside of the permitter, this is affecting their businesses, and they are saying that it's difficult for

them to get around. but once again, when you have the pope visiting a city like this, it's to be expected. all of people inside, they're feeling pretty secure that they're in a safe area as well, john. >> let's talk a little bit about security, patrick, because first of all, this is not what the pope wants. he doesn't want an armed camp. he wants to get out and reach and touch the people, and he's going to do that today. is it just impossible nowadays to have an event where the public has access to a superstar like the pope. >> that's a great question. we have heard in the last few hours that there's a group of catholics coming from syracuse, new york, and they thought that they would have to walk four miles from the train station, and even then, they would be a whole mile away from the pontiff. so we have to ask a question, this is the pope who wants to be close to the people, and in new york, we saw him get very close to the people. and we have to ask if the security arrangements are

against what he hopes to do. >> we were on the bus for hours and hours. >> it took us hours to get here yesterday. it took me an hour and a half to walk from the train station to the hotel. he's on the perimeter, but there are no cars and the streets are blocked off and you can't drive anywhere. >> people have come a long way and walked awhile to get to the location and they can't move. jonathan martin is at independence hall, and what he's seeing there. >> on a riser, it's still hard to capture the crowd here. it's a massive crowd, and you have tens of thousands of people behind me right here at independence park, and you have just as many behind the camera here. waiting for the pope to come through, and the organizers in the area, it's not clear at this point if the pope will actually ride through this

particular area for his mile and a half journey, but his speech will focus on two main issues. immigration and religious freedom. and it's worth noting as we step aside here, there are a large number of immigrant families, hispanic families who show up each day. and they are hoping that the pope addresses immigration really in a very bold way. and they're hoping that he talks about the dignity and the respect they say that goes along with keeping families together. so again, he's expected to talk about that, and also to address religious freedom. and john, it's also worth noting that this speech today, it's happening in a historic place, and we all know that independence hall, the place of the declaration of independence where the constitution was signed. and we really hope that it's freedom for america, and religious freedom and talking about the backdrop here and why we should be focusing on some of those issues. john? >> it looks like a big crowd,

but not packed, is that right? >> it's packed here in this area, and they really try to control the crowd. and it's hard without a bird's eye view. but certainly, tens of thousands of people behind me to my left and my right, behind the camera, so certainly a large crowd. but i wouldn't say that it's so packed that you can't move. >> and let me switch to another part of the crowd. and there are crowds everywhere in the city right now, but jonathan betz is along ben my frank lynn parkway and what are you seeing, jonathan. >> we're seeing a celebration in the heart of the center city, and in the security zone that's locked down, and a lot of people are excited to see the holy father. and over to the side, there's a big group of people singing and dancing, and we met some people earlier today that brought in -- because they wanted to

spend the time waiting and celebrating all along here, this is benjamin franklin parkway, which is the major route that the pope will be at. thousands have been lined up here all morning, all afternoon for the chance to see the pontiff, including my new friend ignacio, who came all the way from chile in south america for this opportunity. and why did you come for this? >> my life has been-illuminated by him. >> how has your life changed? >> i think my life has been -- i want to put my life in the hands of god. and i think god speaks by the pope. so when he comes -- when i come here with my family, my son, to hear his voice >> reporter: this is a long journey and you've better than waiting out here for hours. do you think that it's going to be worth it when he comes by?

even a few seconds? >> absolutely. it's traveling by car, by the plane, that's work. >> reporter: wonderful, and good luck to you, ignacio, i appreciate it. and one of the stories that we're hearing, i talked to one person who walked six miles to get here, because as you mentioned, john, cars can't get here. the entire philadelphia is shut down, so people who are here have to walk in and then wait for this rare chance to see the holy father, john. >> quite a sight, jonathan, thank you very much. so sally, this city, there's a lot of history in the city of philadelphia, and watching at the independence mall, and the liberty bell, what is the pope -- what's the important message that the pope wants to send do you think about religious freedom? >> well, i think that you and i were talking earlier about the

feeling in this crowd, which is very different from a big football game, or some sports event, because you don't have that sort of underlying tension of competitiveness and violence, but the people seem to be very happy. everybody is really nice to each other, and people are smiling, and as he said, they were dancing, and i think that the message that people are getting is, we need to love each other, and it sounds kind of corny, but i get the sense that people are actually -- people in the hotel are being really nice, and oh, here, you go before me, and can i help you? and can i carry your bag? it's just a really different atmosphere than i've seen before. >> it's the friendliest crowd that i've been in ever. and what do you take from what the pope is trying to achieve today at independence hall in particular? >> well, john, there's a sharper into this feature, maybe one of the more political

speeches of the pope's trip. and over the past five years, whether they oppose certain things like the affordable care act, or decisions on gay rights, have cited religious freedom for that. religious freedom comes in many ways, for the ability of churches like the catholic church to maintain their own practices in the face of government actions that might push the nation in a different direction. so what we're going to see here is intention. will the pope side with some of the more conservative bishops? do we need our freedom to be different, or as he did in washington, where he called them to more of a compromise? >> let me go to jennifer london, who is out near the independence hall. and the pope is getting close to her. jennifer. >> . >> he is indeed, john, request

just a few moments ago, the crowd was chanting papa, papa, because they heard that he's 25 minutes out. and every person has a story here of why they came to philadelphia, hopefully to see pope francis. we met one family who travel several months to see the pope. and they came here across america and hopefully to meet pope francis, and their journey to this point to get to today started back in march. >> jennifer london reporting from independence hall. and i want to go back to the governor, john wolf. >> john kennedy spoke here in 196 2, nelson mandela, and abraham lincoln stand here on the way to his 1862

inauguration, and he spoke from that lecturn when he gave the gettysburg address in 3. and this is an important neighborhood. the national constitution center is back there, the native american museum is over here, american history is over here, and of course the present home of the liberty bell is right here. and it is therefore fitting that pope francis makes this one of his new world destinations. this is a place of history and significance, but more than that, it is a place of strong values, high ideals, and values that pay tribute to the holy father's focus on justice, fairness, openness and welcome. pope francis reminds us all of what it is to be human in its most exalted ways, and so does this place. the holy father suggests that we should organize our lives in the ways that promote fairness and justice, and this place tells us that we should govern

ourselves according to those same values. the holy father tells us that the world is potentially very very noble because it's made up of ordinary souls, and it tells us that a government should aspire to that. >> the governor of pennsylvania speaking for the pope. and the pope is still not in our sight. but i want to go back to the fact that this city, this it state was founded in many ways because people were trying to escape intolerance. religious intolerance. >> that's the whole history of this country to begin with. it's not just the city. people came to this scree to escape religious persecution, and you know, i get the sense that the pope is not just speaking to people in philadelphia. he's speaking to people all over this country, but he also is speaking to people all over the world. i mean, when you look at what's going in the middle east with

isis and all of that, he's talking about not creating violence in the name of religion, and that doesn't often happen in this country or civilized countries, and his message is much broader. >> let's go to independence hall, with jonathan. >> it looks like the motorcade is starting to come through here at independence hall, and you see the thousands of people that have their cameras up. and it looks like a pretty large motorcade, 15, 20 cars back, but everyone waiting for a glimpse of the pope, and not sure exactly how far back he is though. >> this is running a little late. they have really been running a little late since this morning, when they got a late start out of new york, and the crowd, we have been talking about the fact that the crowds are huge, and maybe not as big as they

have expected so far. and we're talking about up to 1 million people, maybe more in the city of philadelphia over the next two days, and whether that will happen, we'll see. >> i don't know what the headcount is, but it seems that there are separate groups each place the pope is. but where we have been through, i don't see millions of people. >> i don't know if we can go to that long show. but we're at the end of that long parkway there, and that's where the stage, you can see right at the end is the stage where the pope will speak to the. and where there will be a mass tomorrow. >> and it looks, john, that people are very much filling in the long pathway. up there, the tickets were available on a first come, first serve basis from the arch diocese here, and it will fill up by the end of the day, but certainly, where the people are gathering, there are tens of thousands already, and maybe

hundreds of thousands. >> this is all in anticipation of the pope. >> well, john, here, yeah, no one knew exactly when he would come, but he has rolled in with his motorcade, and you see him surrounded by a lot of security. certainly an amazing opportunity for the people out here who told us they were not stur if the pope would come through this area, and really, that's what's happening right now. you can see him waving to some of the people. >> and it's interesting, there are video screens all over the city. and even though the crowd is not close, they can see it. and they're cheering almost as loudly as you are, jonathan. >> i know that there were many in washington, a lady touched a little child that the pope had touched and she decided that she was blessed for life.

these people are desperately trying to get ahold of him. >> the feeling of being close. >> and once again, we see a pontiff who is very energized. earlier today, with the clergy, and i don't know about you, i thought that he looked a little tired. certainly by now, he looks joyful and blessing another baby. brought in by the security services. >> he did. and obviously, there's a gift of another baby. and you know, it's so funny, you can hear the reaction, not only from the crowd where you are, jonathan, but by the video screen, and it's really a fun way for the crowd to be able to see what's going on. even if they're not right next door. >> you can imagine how tired he is. he started out in cuba, then he went to washington, and that was an extraordinary trip to washington, but so many

speeches. i have ten speeches that the pope has given. his speech writers must have been working overtime to get him up to snuff on this, particularly some of them in english where he has such a difficult time. >> you talk about the energy that the pope had, infectious, and you see today that he looks more energized than he did this morning. we talked about his physical ailments, and he's not a spring chicken. he's up there in years. >> this is a 78-year-old man who has far more energy than most 78-year-old men, but he has part of a lung missing since he was a teenager, and this is someone who keeps up a grueling schedule. and he'll be going home tomorrow. but these last two events are some of the events -- the concert and the prayer service tonight. very large amounts on the philadelphia parkway. >> and you say that he's getting physical therapy as he goes along. >> we heard from the church

spokesman that he's receiving therapy for his sciatica. and he has been very honest in many ways during his papacy, breaking the rule with the spokesperson speaking on his condition. >> when he started out the trip, he was going up and down the stairs by himself. and now you watch, there's somebody on each side getting him and up down the stairs. so i can imagine that he is physically exhausted. >> we saw him stumble going up the ramp at jfk this morning. >> he's carrying his own bag, and he was going up the stairs, and he kind of tripped and kept going and tripped again, and i don't know what the protocol is to help the pope up the sayers, but clearly, this is a guy that in the face of adversity is not going to stop. >> not since jimmy carter has

anybody with this kind of pail and power carried his own bag. >> i think that i told you when we were in the hotel this morning, watching tv, that all of the hotels, there are video screens everywhere, cheering the pope as he moves from one video screen to the other in the hotel. but my waiter was looking at the pope as he got off the plane, and he said, francis looks exhausted. and i think that we're all -- i mean plenty of people are in the city cheering for him. and want more cheering and the more energy he seems to get. it's really interesting. >> let's not forget that he gets up at 4:30 every morning to pray. and i don't know if he has been doing that on this trip, but in some cases, he has not finished until 9:30 or 10:00, so if he's really getting up at 4:30 to pray, he's not getting a lot of sleep. >> jennifer london is near the independence mall with the family who came a long way to see the pope, right, john?

well, we may have lost jennifer. >> the crowd is going wild. and as you can see pope francis rolling by in the pope mobile, waving through the crowd. and he's going down 5th street on his way to independence hall. this crowd has been waiting for hours to see that we just passed. and now the crowd is starting to move that way down 5th street, proceeding to go into independence hall where the pope will talk about --. >> well, i think we have lost jennifer. one of the things that we talked about. they upgraded phone and wireless service in new york and washington d.c., and they were still overwhelmed. and we have tens of thousands of people. and i believe that the

archbishop behind him. >> the 71-year-old franciscan, it's his 71st birthday. and he has been archbishop of the city since 2011. and he became the archbishop in philadelphia in the end of one of the prolonged sexual abuse crises, so he's visiting a city that needs encouragement. a city that has been seriously rocked by these scandals, and i know that many of the clergy that he spoke to this morning very much enjoyed a comforting and encouraging word from this pope. >> it's one of the things that the pope mentioned when he landed. when he spoke to bishops in washington d.c., and he told the bishops that he was concerned that they had been through a tough time. it wasn't that he didn't say the victims had. but the real question is whether or not he focused enough on the victims on this trip. >> well, there was a small

group of people, victims protesting today, and they were complaining that nobody was paying passenger to them. that they didn't feel that the pope is paying enough attention, and there was another immigration group over there with hundred people and all of the focus on him. and it switched to the victim, and said that this has to be hard on the bishops, when the victims are saying, it has been hard on them. so i think that it's still a bone of contention between the members and the catholic church. >> i think this may be one of the dark sides of the pope's celebrity. this is a pope that is loved by so many people, and it may be easier for the issues like the sexual abuse crisis, and as you say, he hasn't directly spoken to the victims as much. >> let me interrupt you for a

second. i have mary burke, who is with the lgbt group, and give us your sense on how well the pope has handled your particular issue. >> part of the pope's famous quote, who am i to judge, set really high expectations that he would bring with this papacy of how lgbt people are welcomed in the church and how the official catholic church teaches us, and we haven't really seen that come to fruition yet. talking about same-sex marriage, with the alley-oop, and our human rights should be protected. victims, and finally, he

instead talked about being gay or being transgendered, as an ideological thing rather than just a human condition. so it has been a bit of a concern for us. >> the fact that there has been some controversy in philadelphia, a lesbian teacher in a philadelphia catholic school, her contract was not renewed, right? and what was the reaction here to that? >> . >> well, in philadelphia, the catholic church stood up for marjorie and her spouse after she was fired after complaints about her same-sex marriage, and this is a trend that we're seeing all across the country, and this has exacerbated since same-sex marriage became legal in many states and nationwide. the bishops consider getting married to another person of the same gender a public act

and what is great is seeing parents and students in the catholic communities where this is happening, whether it's in philadelphia or portland or seattle, catholics are standing up and saying no. lgbt people, gay and lesbians can be great teachers and great nurses and can work in catholic charities, and we know their service and ministry is just as valid as anyone else's. >> making an appearance in new york, a gay journalist and commenterrator. >> sure. >> did that give you some hope or not? we hope that this pope will continue to have dialogue about with arapaimas and supporters,

because i think that he has a very pastoral heart. and i think that as he hears the stories and the commitment to our faith and knows how we find grace in our lives and deeper relationships to god through our partnerships and relationships, and living out who god made us out to be, i think that he could actually start to move us along even farther. however, where we're really seeing great progress is with the people of the church. so many catholics are affirming of their lgbt loved ones, are accepting of our marriages and our kids, and i think that this is the place where the leaders of the church really need to catch up and come out of really jaded thinking. >> mary, it's great to have you on the program, and thank you for joining us. i appreciate it. we're at the meeting of families of the catholic church here, and it's hard to consider that there are traditional

families, where there are two mommies and two daddies, so how does the church deal with that? and has the pope really considered on how to deal with it in the united states? >> i think that his comment about who am i to judge really changed a lot of people's attitudes. he didn't come out and say, i'm in favor of gay marriage, but his comment, who am i to judge? made a lot of people stand back and take a look at this, and that was shortly before it became the law of the land, shortly before same-sex marriages being allowed. and i think that that has really changed so many people's perspective. that the train has left the station pretty much. >> legalized marriage, yeah. >> and i think that it's just going to be a matter of time. each all of the politicians have changed their view on

same-sex marriage. >> what is your reaction to this? >> i hate to disagree with such a distinguished person. i think that the statement, who am i to judge was that it raised expectation so high that 39% of catholics said that they already believed that the pope was already in favor of same-sex marriage. and of course he's not. that statement was about celibate gay priests, whether a gay priest who kept his vows was better or worse than a straight priest. pope francis has stayed very much with the church's teachings, but he doesn't talk about it all that much. he doesn't come out and gratuitously talk about homosexuahomosexuality the way t other church leaders have done. >> what i meant was, the perspective that he was in favor of gay marriage, and a lot of people say if the pope

s. i am too. and they didn't realize that he was just talking about gay priests. >> whether the pope is not in favor of this, and the expectation was raised so high may cause real disappointment. >> let me talk a second, i just want to talk about pictures because the pope is getting very close now to making his speech. tell her the significance, and how does the vatican decide, this is the best place for pope francis to come speak in the united states? what do you think goes into that passion? >> i think that it's such a suth for religious leaders around the yee, but especially for u.s. catholic bishops, that the catholic faith needs to be accepted. non-discrimination laws, for instance, and if that's the point where you have, that

religious freedom, the u.s. constitution in 1787, and then the bill of rights four years later. in addition, there's the added symbolism, the pope speaking at the same lecturn, used for the gettysburg address, by the people, for the people. and there's such a rich history of religious freedom. >> we see sally jewel, the secretary interior, giving a tour of independence hall for the pope. and let me point out. is mike miles. >> the pope's most faithful companion on this trip. he has never been much farther away from the pope.

and he's the other man who rides in the small fiat that the pope have been using. he and the pope sort of go back and forth when the pope gives a speech in spanish. as of this morning, he will speak a paragraph, and señor miles picks it up. he incidentnates the pope's voice. which is wonderful. >> we're not going to see him for about three minutes before he comes out to make his speech. i interrupted you. >> the pope is very open about how he has a hard time speaking english, and he has tried other languages, a little jermo germad italian, and he can't get it in english, and he has said that openly, and you could see that he struggles with it. >> i thought the comments earlier, you listen more to the pope because he's struggling. >> when he was speaking in

front of congress, i could see john kerry, and he was going like this. >> going to john kasich at independence hall, we can hear you. >> you were asking me earlier about the size of the crowd. and i want to pan over so you can see, it's starting to swell here, but the people behind us, gathering to wait to hear what the pope will say, there are a noticeable amount of families, and he has spoken about that issue on several of his stops in the united states, but it's here in this place that he has

talked about in depth. tolerance and religious freedom, and also using personal stories to talk about. he has talked about that to congress, being a descentent of immigrants, and a lot of the people are waiting, now that the pope has gone by, to wait and see what he will say. >> i hate to ask you again. there he is. we're going to turn around and look at this crowd. but what's interesting about this is, from the front, it looks like there were not that many people, and then you look behind, and there's this enormous crowd, this is not close to this location. but at this location, where the pope will speak tonight, flurry thousands of people gathered in front of screens, and

loudspeakers, so they can hear what the pope says at independence hall. and there's a wider shot of again, benjamin franklin parkway. >> we were talking earlier about religious freedom, and what he's going to say. and i think that and i think not just because he's a bishop, but what's going on in politics today. the republican candidates. >> there was a rivetting ceremony at ground zero yesterday. >> yes, and the sikhs, the people who wear the turbans, and how he was almost beaten alive whennosis in india for being i sikh, and then he immigrated to this country, and there he is sitting by the pope at ground zero, and what a great country this is.

and right after ground zero, people in this country were beaten up because people thought they were muslims. >> right after 9/11, sikhs were attacked. and the question of religious tolerance, he obviously addressed to ground zero, and he talked about non-believers as well. >> that's one of the most winning things about this pope's visit. he's a man from the very beginning who has always asked crowds to pray for him. >> let's soak this in for a second. ♪

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[ cheers ] >> fanfare for the common man, played by the philly pops, and we're going to hear from the pope in a second, but first, the archbishop is preparing to speak. let's listen. >> your holiness, distinguished guests and friends. the united states is an experiment in freedom, ordered by law, and ordered to basic truths about the human person. the greatest good in the american character comes from our belief in the merciful god. the god who guarantees the dignity and rights of all of his children. alexander hamilton was one of america's greatest founding fathers. he helped write our constitution here at independence hall. he was also one of our greatest immigrants.

born in the west indies, hamilton was a friend of george washington. he fought in the revolution. wrote nearly two thirds of the federalist papers and set the united states on the course to become a world power. the listen is simple. this is a nation that no single ethnic group or privileged economic class owns. it's a country where a person who comes from nowhere can still make a difference. it's a nation where a man who never knew his own birthday, hamilton was born out of wedlock, can take part in the birth of a new order. it reminds us that immigrants around the world knew the country in every generation and breathed new life into what george washington called the

bosom of america. we live in an odd time of history, when the church defends marriage and the unborn child. and she is attacked as being too harsh, when she defends immigrant workers and families broken by deportation, she's attacked as too soft. and yet the church is neither of these things. pope john 23rd, now st. john 23rd, described the search as the mother and the teacher of humanity. a mother who understands and loves the whole human person, from conception to natural death. always, consistently and everywhere. when it comes to immigration, the church reminds us that in the end, all of us are children of the same loving god. that makes us brothers and sisters, despite the borders that separate us.

and in arguing over borders to keep people out, we need to be vigilant against erecting those same kind of borders in our hearts. my dear friend, the person who speaks that truth most powerfully is with us today. and i invite the holy father, the son of immigrants, to share his thoughts with us now. pope francis. >> the first native american archbishop appointed by the catholic church. let's listen.

>> amigos. [ speaking spanish ] >> the birthplace of the united states united states. freedoms, which define this country, the declaration of independence, stated that all men and women are created equal.

that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. these ringing words continue to inspire us today. even as they have inspired people's throughout the world to fight for the freedom to live in accordance with their dignity. but history also shows that these, or any truths, must

constantly be reaffirmed. reappropriated, and defended. the history of this nation is also the tale of a constant effort, lasting to our day, to embody those lofty principles in social and political life. we remember the great struggles which led to the abolition of slavery, the extension of voting rights, the growth of the labor movement, and the gradual effort to eliminate every kind of racism and prejudice directed at the

successive waves of new americans. this shows that when a country is determined to remain true to its founding principles, those principles that were foundational and based on respect for human dignity, that country is strengthened and renewed. when a keeps memory and remembers it's past, it continues to grow and to be renewed and to assume and take into its bosom new people's.

all of us benefit a great deal from a remembering our past. and a people that remembers does not repeat past errors. instead, it looks with confidence to the challenges of the pretty and the future. remembrance saves a people's soul from where ever and whomever would attempt to dominate it or use it for their interests. when individuals and communities are guaranteed the effective exercise of their rights, not only are they free to realize their own potential,

but they also, with this, and with their work, contribute to the we have and to all of society. in this place, which is symbolic of the american way as the model of the united states, i would like to reflect with you on the right to religious freedom. it is a fundamental right, which shapes the way we interact socially and personally with our neighbors,

whose religious views differ from our own. the ideal of interreligious dialogue, where all men and women of different religious traditions may dialogue without fighting each other -- that is what religious freedom gives us. religious freedom certainly means the right to worship god. individually, and in community.

as our own conscience dictates. but on the other hand, religious liberty, by its nature, transcends places of worship and the private sphere of individuals and families. because the religious dimension is not a culture, it is a part of any society and any nation. our various religious traditions, our various religious traditions serve

society, primarily by the message they proclaim. they call individuals and communities to worship god, the source of all life, liberty and happiness. they remind us of the transcendent dimension of existence, and our irreducible freedom in the face of every claim to absolute power. we need but look at history and it's good for us to look at history, especially to the history of this last century to

see the atrocities perpetrated by systems which claim to build one or another earthly paradise, by dominating people, subjecting them to apparently indisputable principles, and denying them any kind of rights. our rich religious traditions seek to offer meaning and direction. they have an enduring power to open new horizons always, to stimulate thought, to expand the mind and heart. they call for conversion, reconciliation, concern for the future of society. to self sacrifice in the

service of the common good, and compassion for those in need. at the heart of their spiritual mission is the proclamation of the truth and dignity of the human person, and of all human rights. [ applause ] our religious traditions remind us that as human beings, we are called to acknowledge an other who reveals our relational identity in the face of every effort to impose a uniformity to which the egotism of the powerful, the conformism of the weak, or the idiology of the

utopian would seek to impose on us. in a world where various forms of modern tyranny seek to suppress religious freedom, or, as i said already, try to reduce it to a subculture without right to a vice or vote in the public square, or to use religion as a pretext for hatred and brutality, it is imperative that the followers of the various religions join their voices in calling for peace, for tolerance, and respect for the dignity and rights of others.

we live in a time subject to the globalization of the technocratic paradigm, which consciously aims at a one dimensional uniformity, and seeks to eliminate all differences and traditions in a superficial quest for unity. the religions thus have the right and the duty to make clear that it is possible to build a society where a healthy pluralism, which truly respects differences and values them as such, is a precious ally in the

commitment to defending human dignity, and a path to peace in our troubled world. so harmed by war. the quakers, who founded philadelphia, were inspired by a profound evangelical sense of the dignity of each individual, as well as by the ideal of a community united by brotherly love. this conviction led them would be a haven for religious freedom and tolerance.

that sense of eternal concern for the dignity of all, especially for the weak and the vulnerable, became an essential part of the american spirit. during his visit to the united states, in 1987, st. john paul ii paid moving homage to this, reminding all americans that the ultimate tests but especially the weakest and most defenseless ones.

i take this opportunity to thank those, whoever their religion have sought to serve the god of peace by building cities of brotherly love. by building the dignity of god's gift. [ pause in captioning ]

the individuality of every person and every people. globalization seeks to bring us together but to do so respecting each person, each individual person richness their own

distinctive, that globalization is good and makes us whole, grow, and leads to peace. i like to use geometry here if globalization is a sphere where each point is he can quitus and from the center then it isn't good because it anulls each of us. but if it joins us where we are all together but each conserves his way, then it's good and it gives dignity to all men and grants them rights there are

today members of merkel's large hispanic population. as well as /* as well as representatives of recent immigrants to the united states. thank you for opening this door. many of you have immigrated, and i greet you with particular affection. many of you have immigrated to this country at great personal costs. but in the hope of building a new life.

do not be discouraged by whatever challenges and hardships you face. i ask you not to forget, like those who came here before you, you bring many gifts to this nation. please don't ever be ashamed of your traditions [applause.] do not forget the lessons you learned from your elders, which is something that may enrich the life of this american land. i repeat: do not be ashamed of

that which is a part of your li lifeblood. you are also called to be responsible citizens. you are called to be responsible citizens and to contribute as those who came before did so to contribute fruitfully to the life in the communities in which you live. i think in particular, of the vibrant faith which so many of you possess of a deep sense of family life and all of those other values which you have inherited. by contributing your gifts you will not only find your place

here you will help, also, to renew society from within. do not forget what happened here. more than two centuries ago do not forget that declaration that proclaimed that had all men and women are created equal. they are endowed by their creator of certain ina certain

inaliably rights. the government seeks to defend these rights. dear friends, i thank you for your warm welcome and for joining me here today. let us keep and care for freedom, the freedom of conscience, religious liberty. each individual, each family, each people's own liberty which is what gives us our rights. may this country and each of you be renewed in gratitude for the many blessings and freedoms that you enjoy. and may you defend these rights

especially religious freedom, given to you by god. may god bless you all. i ask you please pray for me a little bit, too. thank you. >> pope francis asked the crowd to pray for him, but it looks like he has a little more to say. our father, who art in hetch, hallowed be thy name. thy i know.com come. thy will be done on earth as it

is in heaven. give thus day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. >> dethe lord be with you. may the lord bless you all. (applause.) >> pope francis blessing the crowd in english and saying the lord's prayer. i guess for those who are watching on television and aren't here and don't have the script, the most interesting thing that we saw among -- many interesting things was that the pope went off script a little while and talked about

globalization. what was the importance of that? >> absolutely, john. the pope actually just got so excited. you could see the preacher's fervor in him. he talked about connecting it back to religious freedom. said if globalization makes everyone exactly the same, we lose our richness and individually but if it respects every person, it can be the that leads to peace. he gave a geometry lessong saying the globe shouldn't be a sphere where everyone is an equal distance from the center bi have particularity, especially connecting that back to i mmigrant communities and te new and different things they each bring to this country. >> here at the home of the index hall, the liberty bell, the signing of the declaration and the constitution of the united states, the pope talked about religious lib we certy and the importance of religious liberty. >> religious liberty is a key theme they keeps going back to and back to and back to.

you know, he said talks about what i thought was really interesting, a healthy pluralism which respects differences and values them as such. and he has shown that over and over again when he talks, and you were mentioning earlier when he said the other day, pray for me and if you are not a believer, then wish my we will. he is trying to reach out and make sure that everybody feels the love. i thought when he was talking about globalization, he said, it's not bad, but sometimes it can be bad if the fact is that it destroys the richness of the individuality. and, you know, the idea that, you know, if we are all individuals, but everyone whose individuality is respected, then that's a good thing. and you know that that's what turns him on because he just went off message. >> his fate lit up. he got so excited.

>> he was like a different person. >> he was like a different person. this sort of fits in to his whole discussion of immigration. that will brings me to astrid silva, the organizing director of progressive leadership of nevada in washington, d.c. tell me what you heard in this speech, astrid. >> i think one of the most important things i heard is the pope telling us to not lose hope. we have had a lot of defeat, and unfortunately, our families are the ones who are bearing the brunt of this. he just said to keep our faith in moving forward and again, imports to understand we all can contribute something to this country. >> you know, we have heard this issue raised several times. he talked about immigration in new york, immigration in washington, d.c. what does this do politically for immigration in the united states? is there a francis effect when it comes to immigration?

>> we know the pope has been talking about immigration and not only in the united states but all over the world. it's it's a issue touching a lot of homes, a lot of families. it doesn't just reach catholic homes. it reaches homes that may not even be religious as he pointed outed. it's something that is affecting all of us and hopefully a lot of people now will take action that maybe didn't before. okay. so what does that mean politically? what does that mean realistically, practically for your organization? >> we know thousands upon thousands of americans have been asking for an immigration reform bill to pass. have an opportunity now to engage people who maybe before weren't actively engage did. we know people are paying a lot more attention, and it could be possibly because of the pope speaking about it more. as we said, a lot of us are voiceses for those that may be afraid. we have families afraid to come out of the shadows ball they

will be attacks for not having documentation asking for those to come out and speak out of the families in danger of being separated every single day. >> i know you waited to get on. we appreciate you waiting. thank you very much for your insight. as we look at those pictures, many of the people in this crowd are latino. i want to get this fact in. i wondered where the name city of brotherly love came from. and william penn named the town philadelphia after the greek words filios. >> love and brothers. so, it is literally, john, the city of brotherly love. >> as we listen to the bell ring or we have heard the bell ring, quite an amazing scene as the pope spoke atsequences hall jonathan martin is along with the parkway. jonathan, i'm sorry. jonathan betz is along the

parkway. >> yeah, john, prime real estate right here on benjamin franklin payne. i am sitting next to adria in. a with her friends here t this is really great position to be to see the pope when he comes by in a couple of hours. we could hear the pope's speech earlier from index hall which is about a mile or two away. the crowds here erupted in cheers, especially during the parts where he talked about hispanics and immigration and adriana here is originally from ecuador, but she has lived here 20 years. when you hear the pope speak about immigrants and you, like immigrants, generations have brought gifts to this country, what do you think when you hear that? >> made me feel proud and happy. i came here not to take things away but gives to support the rest of my community, my people

from latin america or from spain and to hear the pope they make in the world a better place this is a country of immigrants. we don't come here to take away. we come here to give our best and to support everybody are these messages from a pontiff before, someone of this level? >> yes. you know, like i, john paul, he was the same. for me, it's like the same. we had the same message to be humble to be all together. >> this is the first latin american pope, the first one? >> so proud because we had somebody that represents us, to make our voice to hear, a person of this level we are here in

this country to give and to make a better place for everybody. >> you have been out here hoping for the chance possibly to see the ponti if. f as he drives here how long have we been out here? >> nine or tenl hours. >> nine or 10 hours >> we drove 16 hours to come to see him. >> you came in last night? >> yes. >> 16 hours from or lanorland o to be here? >> to see him. everybody has the same point of view. to be together and show the world that we are together and that we want a better place for everybody. >> the energy here, john, is absolutely electric. so many people excited to see this pontiff. when emergency workers drive by, the crowd erupts. the energy is building even though the pope won't be here for several more hours tonight. >> the pope just leaving to go to saint charles seminary and then, of course, to the festival

of families here at the stage behind me later on tonight. jennifer london, we have been trying to get in touch with you. obviously worked out technical problem. jennifer, what have you got? >> well, john, as you know, pope francis just wrapped up his historic speech here at index ha hall. a lot of what he talked about r resonating with this crowd. there were cheers and chanting and singing and he received such a warm welcome when he took the stage, but when he was talking, there was a hush that came over the crowd. everyone here listening so intently to what he had to say, applauding at times but really, really taking in the message and i am joined by vanessa chavez. she is originally from club gambia but lived in philadelphia for 14 years. this entire group with me, they have come from -- they are from argentina, from colombi sachla. vanessa, tell me, initially, just give me your reaction to

what pope francis had to say? >> it certainly is a call to action for all of us as immigrants coming from different parts of the world. this is a call to individuality. to not be ashamed of where we come trans, who we are and to speak up, you know. it's like he said to not forget the mistakes of the past, to learn from them. >> we did hear the pontiff say never be ashamed of your originalins. don't forget where you came from. he also said he pointed out the sanctuary cities and thanked them for their service in providing a safe haven for immigrants and the underprivileged. what did that message mean to you? >> it definitely calls me to not be ashamed of who i am, where i come from, to voice it out loud, you know, as an immigrant. it's very difficult sometimes so to not be ashamed really, to speak up and i don't know what

else to say. >> thank you so much, and john, i will send it back to you. you heard what vanessa said. that's something being echoed throughout the crowd here what the pope is talking about when he is talking about immigration, we have heard him talking about it in washington, d.c. and new york and now here in philly is a call to action for many people. >> jeng fer, thank you very much. we will continue our coverage of the pope's visit to philadelphia this, the city of brother-in-law and sisterly love. we will be right back after this.

>> you are looking at a stage where tonight the pope will speak at the festival. families here in philadelphia. jonathan martin was watching up close. he joins us mowith more. >> it has been a defendant busy, busy day for the pope. it will be busy again tomorrow for him at 11:00 o'clock tomorrow. he will be vit visiting philadelphia's large hest prison and his messages will be transmitted to some 3,000 inmates. this is not unusual he has made prisoners an the issues of incarceration a focal point during his time in office pointing out the point that prisoners are people. they havedi dignity. he has been outspoken on the death penalty. he is not the first pope to make these issues an issue. but he certainly has been very vocal about it. >> will be his schedule

tomorrow. we see a lot of people leaving here, focus excited to hear the pokes speak about religious freedom, talking about immigration. we heard him speak to some of the immigrant families who erupted in applause when he fold them that they have value and despite their challenges, they have a place here in this country. so that's wrapping up here today. certainly again a lot for the pope tomorrow when he visits the prison. john? thank you very much, father morisi is a chaplain at the philadelphia prison system. talk to me a little bit, father, about why this pope is visiting the prison system in philadelphia and what it means. >> as he said himself, many times, he reaches out to the marginalized, the outcast, lost sheep who are discarded in this world to give them hope. that's exactly what he is doing,

trying to show that this is what he and the gospel of christ and the church want to do to reach out to these people who are, as he said yesterday, almost living in deafening anomity in our streets or prisons. >> you know, as a volunteer, in this prison system, what is it that this country needs to be doing that it's not doing right now? >> i think they need to put a face on people in prison. they need to recognize that these are some of our family members, some of the people who, you know, are discarded. they grow up in dysfunctional families, a lot of them. they don't have the opportunities we have. they get into selling drugs when they are young kids and they wind up in prison. they have children and they have husbands and wives affected by this cycle of imprisonment and being held sometimes for a year

or two without any trial coming up. they are guilty until proven innocent. these people are right in our backyard, 8,000 and around the whole country. 25% of the world's prisoners are in our jails in the united states. it's like incredible. put a human face on them. get to no somebody in prison. be a pen pal. >> what pope francis will be doing tomorrow. father morsi thank you very much for joining us. we appreciate it. so we are just about to wrap things up here. i just want to let our audience know thatiat later on about 7:0 o'clock eastern time, we'll be back to cover the pope's speech of the festival of families. i have saly quin and patrick hornbeck here give me your thoughts about what you have seen, sally, the last couple of hours. >> i keep going back to this idea of globalization because i think he is speaking more to people in the world than he is to just philadelphia or just the

united states when he talks about immigration. we have seen all of the imigree problems in syria with the nightmare there. we have immigration problems here almost everything he talks about, religious freedom or violencereligion, it all is more global than anything else. you know, he tried to put it in perspective today in that little a add-on that he gave. that's what comes to mind for me is what -- >> it is amazing. i just want to point out this picture because there you see sort of at the top end of this screen there where we are, we are the pope is going to speak tonight. what can we expect from the pope tonight, patrick? >> tonight, john, this is a prayer vigil to cap off or mark a high point in the world meeting of families which is the reason for pope francis's trip. there will be readings, songs. he will reflect on the nature of a family. i want to echo something sally just said. what we heard was a land spark

speech on the issue of globalization and religious liberty. it was expansionive speech. he addressed issues that are global and wide ranging. he reclaimed it and made it something that will everyone can find their place in. >> the crowd is getting bigger more people are stream in to this area in philadelphia after the poke spoke at independence hall. they are preparing for the festival of families tonight. there is some amazing people going to show up. aretha franklin is expected to sing "amazing grace." other stars, and, of course, the rock star of the catholic church, pope francis is going to speak later on tonight. we will be back to cover it all live. we will see it then. i am john seigenthaler reporting.

>> tonight... roxana saberi returns to her mother's homeland in a personal and revealing journey from hiroshima, a moment that still resonates 70 years later... >> there were corpses and bones everywhere, it's hard for me to come here again. >> to okinawa, where the presence of u.s. troops remains contentious. >> no osprey! >> and, in a culture resistant to change, how one woman is blazing new trails. >> in the future, i hope to see mixed race people commonly accepted. >> journey to japan. >> i'm roxana saberi in hiroshima. a city known to many through history books and images seared into our collective memory. when the u.s. dropped atomic bombs here and on na