ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos will anchor special reports surrounding Pope Francis’s visit to the U.S. this week.
He’ll anchor from Washington, D.C. when the Pope arrives at Andrews Air Force Base tomorrow afternoon, then anchor GMA Wednesday and Thursday from D.C. David Muir will anchor World News Tonight from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception tomorrow and Wednesday, from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on Thursday, and from Philadelphia on Sunday.
Muir moderated a town hall late last month from the Vatican which allowed Pope Francis to engage with Catholics who would not be able to see him in person during his East Coast visits. The pope talked with groups in Chicago, Los Angeles and McAllen, Texas. World News Tonight weekend anchors Tom Llamas and Cecilia Vega, who also participated in the town hall, will cover the papal visit. “Being a part of the team which connected his holiness with high school students who have overcome so much adversity has been one of the most rewarding and memorable experiences of my career,” Llamas told TVNewser last week.
Chief foreign correspondent Terry Moran has been traveling with Pope Francis, beginning when the pontiff departed Rome on Saturday for his first stop in Havana, Cuba.
Here’s ABC’s coverage plan:
ABC NEWS ANNOUNCES COVERAGE OF POPE FRANCIS’ FIRST VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES
George Stephanopoulos, David Muir and Dan Harris Anchor and Report from Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia
Terry Moran and Cecilia Vega Travel with the Pope
All ABC News Programs and Platforms Dedicate Extensive Coverage to the Pope’s Highly Anticipated Trip
ABC News announced today coverage of Pope Francis’ first visit to the United States with comprehensive reporting on all of the major developments from every city on the Pope’s schedule, including Washington, D.C., New York, Philadelphia and Havana. ABC News will offer complete coverage of all papal events, including his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, White House visit, addresses to a Joint Meeting of Congress and the United Nations General Assembly, as well as motorcade stops, parades, Vespers and Mass.
Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos will anchor a special report from Washington, D.C. on Pope Francis’ arrival on September 22 and anchor “Good Morning America” from D.C. on September 23 and 24. David Muir will anchor “World News Tonight” at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. on September 22 and 23, from St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on September 24 and from Philadelphia on September 27. Dan Harris will anchor “Good Morning America” Weekend from Philadelphia on September 27.
Chief Foreign Correspondent Terry Moran travels with Pope Francis and reports on his trip from Rome to Havana, D.C., New York, Philadelphia and back to Rome. “World News Tonight Saturday” Anchor and Senior National Correspondent Cecilia Vega will report from Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia as the Pope visits each city.
“World News Tonight Sunday” Anchor Tom Llamas will report from New York, Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas will cover the extraordinary security concerns throughout the week, Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl will report from D.C., Senior National Correspondent Jim Avila will report from D.C. and Correspondent David Wright reports for “Nightline.”
ABC Political Analyst Cokie Roberts, Contributor Matthew Dowd and America magazine Editor-at-Large Father James Martin will provide analysis on the integration of politics and religion. America Media, the leading producer of multimedia content for Catholics, has partnered with ABC News to provide additional insight from Editor-in-Chief Father Matt Malone, and Vatican Correspondent Gerard O’Connell.
ABC News Digital will carry all of the Pope’s live events on ABCNews.com/Live and will be GoStreaming from Washington, D.C. and New York City during his visits. ABC News will produce several digital shorts to mark the Pope’s arrival, including pieces about the Pope and children as well as a feature that pulls deep from the archives called “The History of Pope Visits to the US.” In addition, ABC News Digital will expand its “In A Minute” series with “Pope: IAM.” All ABC News Digital content will be featured on a special POPE & THE PEOPLE portal page.
ABC News Radio will cover each and every leg of the Pope’s journey beginning in Havana with Correspondent Aaron Katersky, continuing through the nation’s capital with Correspondents Mary Bruce, Stephanie Ramos and Jim Ryan. In New York City Correspondents Katersky, Scott Goldberg and Brad Mielke will cover events during the Pope’s trip, and Ryan will also report from Philadelphia. ABC News Radio will enhance its coverage by offering one-minute Status Reports twice an hour and include a team of high-profile papal experts to complement its coverage with context and color.
ABC NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, will be covering the Pope’s visit to all three cities. ABC News Correspondents Marci Gonzalez, Bazi Kanani, Karen Travers and Lana Zak will report for more than 200 ABC affiliates and international partners.