Cardinal Timothy Dolan: Pope Francis to visit Pope Emeritus Benedict VATICAN CITY, March 14 (UPI) -- Pope Francis planned to visit Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Thursday before celebrating mass for the first time as pontiff, U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan said. Francis, dressed in white, told the cardinals following the conclave that elected him Wednesday as one of his first acts as pope he would visit his predecessor at the lakeside papal residence at Castel Gandolfo, about 15 miles southeast of Rome, Dolan said Wednesday night at Rome's Pontifical North American College. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to visit Benedict," Dolan quoted Francis as saying. The Vatican did not include the visit on the new pope's schedule. Italian news media reported the visit would take place in the next few days and would be televised. Benedict was the first pope to resign in 598 years. His papacy ended Feb. 28. Francis spoke by phone with Benedict Wednesday night, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said. Lombardi called it "an act of great significance and pastorality" that Francis' first act as pope was to offer a prayer for his predecessor. Dolan, archbishop of New York, told reporters the 76-year-old pope -- the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, known for his simple, pastoral ways and his connection to the poor -- told the 114 cardinals he also planned to visit a Rome basilica Thursday. The archbishop said Francis also joked he would "have to stop by the residence to pick up my luggage and pay the bill." The cardinals stayed during the conclave at the Vatican's Santa Marta guest residence. Francis, the first non-European pope since Syria's Gregory III from 731-741, was to celebrate mass with the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, where he was elected, in a televised service beginning at 5 p.m., Lombardi said. Francis, a Jesuit who took his papal name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, is to be officially installed as pontiff Tuesday, Lombardi said. Tuesday is St. Joseph's Day, or the Feast of St. Joseph, in Western Christianity. The Bible says Joseph was the husband of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus. St. Joseph is also patron of the universal church, a title given to him by Pope Pius IX in 1870. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, plan to be at the inaugural mass, the White House said. Biden, the first Roman Catholic U.S. vice president, will lead the American delegation, the White House said. Biden said in a statement the church played "an essential role in my life," not just in matters of faith but also "in pursuit of peace and human dignity for all faiths." President Barack Obama, among the first world leaders to congratulate the pope, said Francis, "as a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us ... carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than 2,000 years -- that in each other we see the face of God. "As the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world, and alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day," Obama said. Latin Americans represent 40 percent of the world's Roman Catholics. Obama added he looked forward "to working with his holiness to advance peace, security and dignity for our fellow human beings, regardless of their faith."