Thousands greet Pope John Paul II

Sept. 15, 1987: Hundreds of thousands of people filled Los Angeles streets to greet Pope John Paul II on his 10-day U.S. tour.

“Their progress marked by the rippling flights of yellow and white balloons, the Popemobile and its beaming, white-robed passenger sailed through seven miles of Los Angeles’ streets ... flanked all the way -- through high-tech and low-income vistas -- by singing, cheering thousands of faithful,” The Times said.

“From his arrival, when drivers ... pulled over to snap pictures of Pope John Paul II’s motorcade speeding toward the parade start point, to the moment he descended from the Popemobile at St. Vibiana’s Cathedral 40 minutes later with a final wave, the pope was greeted with fond respect and near-tearful reverence. The throngs ranged from 20 joyous Franciscan sisters who won the convent lottery to attend, to a teenage girl holding up a white cloth reading, ‘The Pope Is Cool.’ ”