Philadelphians Asked to Open Homes For Papal Visitors

With the Pope’s visit coming up in September, Philadelphia is expecting a considerable lodging shortage. The number of pilgrims and out-of-towners coming to see the pontiff hold a Festival of Families and a Mass service on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway is expected to number in the millions, and it seems like every hotel room within two hours’ distance from the city is booked solid. This isn’t news – the lodging issue has been a topic of conversation since the Pope announced his visit. With February slipping into March and the days until the visit growing shorter, however, the urgency of the need for more places to stay grows ever more pressing.

Archbishop Chaput, seen here with Pope Francis, is asking Philadelphia to reach out to visitors coming to see the pontiff.

To that end, Archbishop Charles Chaput addressed the city – Catholics and non-Christians alike – and implored residents to open their homes to those coming into town to see Pope Francis. In his weekly address, Archbishop Chaput addressed the lodging shortage and implored those with any extra room to make it available for those coming into town.

The Church has set up a “Host a Family” program with its own website. Through the program, anyone with a furnished spare room, apartment, home, or vacation home within 120 miles of Center City can (either for free or for a fee of their choosing) offer the space to individuals or families seeking shelter for the papal visit. Those who sign up create a profile describing themselves and their family and listing details about their home: distance to Center City, number of bedrooms available, household rules, and any other pertinent items.

In short, the Church is challenging Philadelphians to put their money where their mouths are when it comes to the “City of Brotherly Love” motto.