2 papal parades, more passes available after ticket outcry

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — After an outcry over plans to keep most of Pope Francis' audience at his biggest Philadelphia events several blocks away, organizers Thursday announced the pontiff will parade through downtown twice and said they would set aside 30,000 tickets for the public to get a closer view.

Farrell moved quickly to respond to the backlash, calling a press conference outside her office in 93-degree heat, after she said she was caught off guard by a Secret Service announcement Wednesday revealing the long-discussed ticket plan.

The ticketing fiasco erupted a week after organizers ramped up marketing and unveiled a new slogan, "I'll Be There," to encourage attendance amid fears that months of discussions about tight security had scared people from attending.

Tickets for the closing ceremony and the Papal Mass are being allotted to the 219 Catholic parishes in the Philadelphia area based on the size of their congregations.

Limited supplies are being given to surrounding dioceses in New Jersey, Delaware and other parts of Pennsylvania and to other faith communities and church social service programs, including a program that works with Philadelphia's homeless.