ON BOARD THE PAPAL PLANE TO THE VATICAN (The Adobo Chronicles) – In his very own words, Pope Francis has confirmed that he will be visiting the United States this fall, with stops in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

The pontiff made this announcement on board the Philippine Air Lines plane that took him from the Philippines to Rome.  Francis just concluded a highly successful visit to the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Immediately after the announcement, various U.S. agencies and groups went on overdrive and announced plans and concerns about this coming historic visit.

• The Republican-controlled Congress is very nervous about its stance on global warming.  The Pope is expected to issue an encyclical shortly, urging action on climate change which is contrary to what Republicans believe and stand for.
• House Speaker John Boehner, a Roman Catholic, is considering proposing new legislation to tax the rich and provide tax breaks for the middle class and the poor, just to impress the pope. Francis is known to be a staunch advocate for the poor.
• The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly working nonstop to accelerate the filing of criminal charges against American priests charged with child sexual abuse, and to resolve these cases before the fall.
• Law enforcement agencies in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. are putting together plans to deal with crowd control during the Pope’s visit.  They are seriously considering similar measures adopted by the police in Manila during the Pope’s visit.  They will require police officers and traffic enforcers to wear adult diapers to prevent them from having to leave their posts to answer the call of nature during the Pope’s public appearances.
• New York officials want the Pope’s visit to be alcohol-free.  They are proposing to close all Irish pubs in New York for the day.
• President Obama promised not to complain about the American Catholic clergy during his welcome speech at the White House. Obama said that what Philippines President NoyNoy Aquino did in Manila during the pope’s visit was utterly childish.
• Security for the pope will be a top priority. The three states to be visited by Francis have ordered drones to beef up their surveillance measures.
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York will be renamed St. Francis Cathedral in time for the papal visit.
• There will be widespread protests in major West Coast cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Denver for not being included in the papal itinerary.