Pope Francis wrapped-up his big day in New York City by rocking the Garden. 
 
 The leader of the Roman Catholic church took over the home of the New York Knicks, Liberty and Rangers on Friday and transformed the sports shrine into a holy hall. 
 
 “God is living in our cities,” Francis said in Spanish. 
 
 The 24,000 worshippers packing Madison Square Garden did something that’s not usually done at Masses — they burst into applause. 
 
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 “In big cities, beneath the roar of traffic, beneath the rapid pace of change, so many faces pass by unnoticed because they have no right to be there, no right to be part of the city," Francis continued. "They are the foreigners, their children who go without school, those deprived medical insurance, the homeless, the forgotten elderly.” 
 
 Embrace them and “go out and show that God is in your midst,” Francis said. 
 
 “Knowing that Jesus still walks our streets, that he is vitally a part of the lives of his people, that he is involved with us in a vast history of salvation, fills us with hope,” he said. 
 
 And with those words, Francis hammered some of the same points he has been making ever since he began his pilgrimage to the U.S. on Tuesday. 
 
 God, he said, “frees us from anonymity, from a life of emptiness and selfishness.” 
 
 Thousands cheer as Pope Francis rides through Central Park. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Still flanked by the heavy security that has been with him every step of the way since he got to Gotham, Francis took the Popemobile on a procession down West Drive where he basked in the adoration. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News) 
 
 Near the end of the Mass, thunderous applause echoed through the hall when Timothy Cardinal Dolan stood up and declared, “We pray for Francis our Pope, and now here you are.” 
 
 Calling his Papa Francesco, Dolan said, “It is so dazzlingly evident this evening that the church is our family, and you Holy Father, thanks for visiting us, your family.” 
 
 Then Dolan hugged the Pope and handed him a golden chalice while somene yelled "Viva Papa!" from the crowd. 
 
 And when Francis stood up and gave a parting blessing, he did so in English. 
 
 “Go in peace,” he said. “Please I ask you, don’t forget to pray for me.” 
 
 It was the crowning end to a day that began with Francis urging the United Nations General Assembly to combat climate change, segued into a solemn visit to the National September Memorial & Museum, was followed by a trip to East Harlem to meet Catholic school children and a ride through Central Park where 80,000 people cheered him on. 
 
 Back in 1979, one of Francis’ popular predecessors, Pope John Paul, got the rock star treatment at MSG when he attended a youth rally for 20,000 kids. 
 
 Francis got the same kind of reception when he arrived at the Garden around 6 p.m. after taking a ride through Central Park where he was feted by 80,000 New Yorkers. 
 
 MSG erupted in cheers as Francis did a quick ride-through on a white golf cart, waving and shaking as many hands as he could. 
 
 At one point Francis blessed a baby that was brought out to him before he ducked out to change into his green vestments for a celebratory mass. 
 
 “This is a once in a lifetime thing,” said Dennis Hogan of Staten Island, who had been waiting with his wife Judy since 11:30 a.m. when the line to get in was three blocks long. 
 
 Hogan, a deacon at Our Lady Queen of Peace in the New Dorp section, was enlisted to help distribute Holy Communion. 
 
 “We prepared for this for years, and when it happens it's a culmination of a dream,” he said. 
 
 Asked if he had any pre-Mass jitters, Hogan smiled and said, “I'm strangely calm." 
 
 They were lining-up to see Francis hours before he showed-up at MSG. 
 
 The faithful waiting patiently outside began heading in at 2 p.m. when the doors opened and once inside there they were stuck. The heavy security that had been protecting Francis from the moment he arrived in New York City on Thursday did not allow anybody to leave. 
 
 But nobody seemed to mind. 
 
 Paul Kelaher, 61, who lives upstate in Clifton Park, called Francis a "unique guy" and said he had a more common touch than his predecessor Pope Benedict. 
 
 Pope Francis presides over an interfaith service as he visits National September 11 Memorial and Museum Friday in New York City. (TONY GENTILE/REUTERS) Leaders of different faiths watch Francis speak at the multi-religious service. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Pope Francis, left, is escorted by Timothy Cardinal Dolan through the museum near the Ladder Company 3 truck. (Susan Watts/New York Daily News ) 
 
 "I think he's more open-minded than other popes, in his own way more progressive," he said. "We went from a guy who was wearing Gucci to a guy in a Fiat." 
 
 To pass the time, the faithful said the Rosary, both in English and Spanish, and they sang sacred songs. 
 
 They gazed down on the altar, which was decked-out in the Vatican colors of white and gold. 
 
 And they shopped at the concession stands where Pope-themed merchandise, including Swarovski crystal Rosary beads for $175, "Official Papal NYC 2015" baseball hats for $25, and commemorative Christmas ornaments for $30 were on sale. 
 
 Then at 3:30 p.m., Francis’s warm-up act appeared — West Wing actor Martin Sheen — to start the pre-Mass program. 
 
 “It is a joyful privilege for all of us in Madison Square Garden to welcome Pope Francis to New York City and into our hearts," he said. 
 
 What followed was a show called “A Journey in Faith” that featured other performers like singers Kelli O’Hara, James “D-Train” Williams and Norm Lewis. 
 
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 Jennifer Hudson belted out "Hallelujah." Harry Connick Jr. did a jazzy version of "How Great Thou Art." Then the Broadway Inspirational Voices, a Grammy-nominated gospel choir, and the St. Charles Borromeo Choir, got the house rocking. 
 
 Late Show host Stephen Colbert, who is a practicing Catholic, pre-taped a video message for Francis. 
 
 "Let me say I'm deeply honored to be part of this historic mass,” he said. “It's a good day for New York, a good day for the world. Enjoy today’s Mass and please say a prayer for me." 
 
 After Mass, Francis heads back to the residence of the Vatican’s rep to the United Nations on E. 72nd St. to rest up after a day during which he logged 54-miles around Manhattan in the popemobile — and his now famous Fiat 500L. 
 
 But Francis won’t be able to sleep-in on Saturday. He’s got a plane to catch to Philadelphia in the morning. 
 
 Earlier, Francis took a spin through Manhattan’s green jewel on Friday with 80,000 of his biggest fans — and let his hair down a bit during one of the fun parts of his first and only full day in the city. 
 
 Still flanked by the heavy security that has been with him every step of the way since he got to Gotham, Francis took the popemobile on a procession down West Drive where he basked in the adoration. 
 
 Soaking up the waning afternoon sunshine, Francis smiled broadly and blessed the cheering throng. 
 
 In Washington, police carried babies over to the car for the Pope to bless. 
 
 But police kept the crowd in the park on a tighter leash — possibly because Francis was already running late for the mass at MSG. 
 
 Pope Francis places a white rose after praying for victims Friday at the September 11, 2001 memorial in New York. (TONY GENTILE/REUTERS) Timothy Cardinal Dolan, left, and the pontiff place flowers on the memorial. (SHANNON STAPLETON/REUTERS) 
 
 The Pope arrived at the park after a grueling and emotional day that began with an address to the United Nations General Assembly and a prayer service at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. 
 
 He got a pick-me-up in East Harlem when he got to meet the kids at Our Lady Queen of Angels School. 
 
 Standing in the popemobile, the 78-year-old leader of the Catholic Church looked refreshed and energized by the show of devotion. 
 
 And when the 15-minute ride-through was over, Francis hopped back into his now famous Fiat 500L for the ride down to MSG, where thousands awaited him — and where a rainbow was spotted. 
 
 For Francis, the ride in the park was a chance to unwind after a wrenching visit to the 9/11 memorial where he made it his mission to mend hearts broken by the tragedy. 
 
 With a handshake and a few quiet words, Francis consoled some of the still-inconsolable relatives of those who perished at the hands of terrorists. And he remembered the heroic cops and firefighters who were killed on that awful day. 
 
 “We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here,” the Pope said in his halting English while standing near the underground flood wall that survived the 2001 terrorist attacks. 
 
 “The heroic first-responders: our firefighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11, 2001.” 
 
 For those who needed comfort the most, the very fact that Francis was there was a balm. 
 
 Pope Francis prays for the victims at the September 11, 2001, memorial in New York. (TONY GENTILE/REUTERS) 
 
 “It speaks volumes, the kind of person that he is, his heart, his soul, his desire to be with and among people who are experiencing some sort of tragedy, even 14 years later,” said Anthoula Katsimatides, whose brother John was killed on 9/11. 
 
 "He's the Holy Father for a lot of us, who aren't even Roman Catholics,” said Debra Burlingame, whose brother Charles was a pilot on the plane that hit the Pentagon. “For me his coming here is acknowledging the best of humanity. We saw a lot terrible things on 911 and the world responded with great love and compassion. He's acknowledging that with us.” 
 
 Among those Francis met with were widows Virginia Bauer, whose husband David perished in the North Tower, and Monica Iken-Murphy, whose husband Michael died in the South Tower. 
 
 “Everyone has a story here,” said a weeping 43-year-old Loretta Sabella, whose firefighter brother Thomas Sabella was killed. “I hope he brings peace to this place, where many have been suffering for the last 13 or 14 years.” 
 
 Francis also blessed wheelchair-bound NYPD Detective Terrance McGhee, a terror specialist who helped bring down Osama Bin Laden’s brother. 
 
 A solemn-looking Francis arrived at 11:11 a.m. and waved to the excited crowd while legions of police officers and Secret Service agents kept watch. 
 
 “Bless us!” some in the crowd yelled out. “If you don't bless us? Who will?!" 
 
 Francis went over to the pool where the South Tower once stood, said a silent prayer and left behind a white rose. He took a moment to take in some of the inscribed names of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks in New York, at the Pentagon and in a lonely Pennsylvania field, as well as in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. 
 
 Then Francis shook hands with former mayor Michael Bloomberg and went over to speak to the grieving families. 
 
 Joining them were Mayor de Blasio, Gov. Cuomo, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and former mayor Rudy Giuliani. Then the Pope descended into the museum for a service that included Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other representatives of the world’s major religions. 
 
 “I can tell you, Papa Francesco, we in New York are sinners," Timothy Cardinal Dolan said at the start of the service. "We have many flaws. We make many mistakes." 
 
 But one of the city's strengths, Dolan said, is cultivating friendship and good will between people of different faiths. "Your prayer, your presence, and your words this morning inspire us,” he said. 
 
 Going back to his native Spanish, Francis said at the service, “I feel many different emotions standing here at Ground Zero, where thousands of lives were taken in a senseless act of destruction.” 
 
 “Here grief is palpable,” he said. 
 
 Francis called the water flowing into the pools where the Twin Towers once stood “the silent cry of those who were victims of a mindset which knows only violence, hatred and revenge.” 
 
 May God bring “peace to our violent world” and to “turn to your way of love” those who justify killing in the name of religion, Francis said. 
 
 One of the most haunting moments of the service was when Cantor Ari Schwarz sang a Jewish prayer for the fallen, his soaring voice echoing through the museum. 
 
 Before he left, the Pope viewed the famous 9/11 cross — two pieces of steel that fused together after the attacks — which became a focal point at Ground Zero. 
 
 After lunch, the Pope headed uptown. 
 
 Earlier, Francis took his campaign to combat global warming to the UN when he condemned the “misuse and destruction of the environment” and the “culture of waste.” 
 
 It was a message Francis had hammered home earlier this week during his White House speech. 
 
 “We human beings are part of the environment,” the Buenos Aires-born pontiff said in Spanish. “Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm to humanity. 
 
 Mankind, he said, “is not authorized to abuse it, nor is he authorized to destroy it.” 
 
 Without naming any names, Francis also accused the world’s powerful countries of a “selfish and boundless thirst” for money. 
 
 Francis said this is not just destroying the planet, but it’s making paupers of the weak and disadvantaged. 
 
 “We are dealing with real men and women who live and struggle and suffer,” he said. “To enable these real men and women to escape from extreme poverty, we must allow them to be dignified agents of their own destiny.” 
 
 The poor, Francis said, have an inherent right to what he called the “three L’s” — lodging, labor and land. 
 
 Pope Francis speaks at the United Nations General Assembly Friday in New York City. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) Before Francis addressed the big shots, he met with about 400 janitors, cooks, electricians and secretaries and other workers who keep the UN going and thanked them. (MIKE SEGAR/REUTERS) 
 
 The Pope also said women and girls have a “right to education.” 
 
 That statement cheered 18-year-old Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani education activist who survived being shot by a Taliban triggerman — and who was in the hall for the papal address. 
 
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 Francis was the fifth pope to address the UN. His pro-environment message has been lauded by President Obama and Democrats but has angered some Republicans — especially those with ties to the oil industry who continue to insist global warming is myth. 
 
 The Pope also voiced support for another thing the GOP has fiercely objected to — the Iran nuclear agreement. 
 
 Calling it “proof of the potential for political good will,” Francis said he hopes “it will bring forth the desired fruits with the cooperation of all the parties involved.” 
 
 But Francis also gave social conservatives something to applaud by underscoring the Catholic church’s continued objection to gay marriage, abortion and birth control. 
 
 Before Francis addressed the big shots, he met with some 400 janitors, cooks, electricians and secretaries and other workers who keep the UN going and thanked them for making “possible many of the diplomatic, cultural, economic and political initiatives.” 
 
 “Be close to one another, respect one another,” he said. 
 
 “Thank you for your spiritual guidance ... and love for humanity,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, left, told Pope Francis. (TONY GENTILE/REUTERS) 
 
 Then he asked the workers to pray for him. 
 
 Francis’ humble request prompted a round of cheers, and a broad grin creased the holy man’s face. 
 
 The Vatican flag was flying above the UN when Francis arrived. He was greeted at the world body by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. 
 
 “Thank you for your spiritual guidance ... and love for humanity,” he said. 
 
 Then the Pope signed the UN visitors’ book. The pontiff took a white card from his pocket and copied a lengthy message into the bound book. It was not immediately clear what he wrote. 
 
 When Francis was done, the UN chief showed the pontiff a Norman Rockwell image on the wall called “The Golden Rule” which bears the famous words: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” 
 
 That was a theme Francis sounded on Thursday during his historic address to a joint session of Congress in which he urged lawmakers to embrace the migrants heading north to the U.S. in search of a better life — and the refugees fleeing to Europe to escape the civil war in Syria. 
 
 Francis had been invited to speak to the body by House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican and a Catholic. On Friday, he stunned his colleagues by announcing that he would give up both his leadership post and seat in Congress at the end of October. 
 
 Francis, who had never set foot in New York City before, arrived in the city on Thursday to the strains of a Catholic high school band playing “New York, New York” and then headed into Manhattan for a prayer service at the newly refurbished St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 
 
 “As soon as you walked through the door, you became a New Yorker,” Dolan told the Pope. 
 
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 With Thomas Tracy ||||| New York (AFP) - Pope Francis on Friday visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York, where he prayed and laid a white rose at one of the reflecting pools, before he is to lead a multi-faith service for peace. 
 
 The memorial is dedicated to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks and six victims of a first attack on the Twin Towers in 1993. 
 
 The 78-year-old Argentine pontiff clasped his hands together and bowed his head in prayer at one of the two reflecting pools built in tribute to the worst terror attack on US soil. 
 
 After he placed a white rose on the edge of the pool, on which the names of the victims of the 9/11 attacks are inscribed, the crowd broke into chants of "Francisco, Francisco." 
 
 The pope spoke to a group of 9/11 families and responders, before he was to descend into the memorial. He will offer a prayer of remembrance with around 700 representatives of different faiths. 
 
 The memorial occupies eight of the 16 acres on the World Trade Center site, where the Twin Towers were destroyed in the Al-Qaeda attacks that killed 2,753 people.
– At a reflecting pool at the 9/11 Memorial, Pope Francis prayed and laid a white rose before leading a multi-faith service for peace today. "Francisco, Francisco," the crowd chanted after he placed the rose on the pool's edge, according to AFP. The pontiff met with 9/11 families and responders, including two widows, before the service; he blessed a wheelchair-bound NYPD detective who helped catch Osama bin Laden's brother. The service included a prayer of remembrance: "We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here," he said, per the New York Daily News. Also at the service: Mayor Bill de Blasio, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Chuck Schumer, former mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and representatives of other major religions.