No Skid Row Fears, Church Says

The Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese today disassociated itself from a plan being considered by security officials to relocate services of the large Union Rescue Mission during the Pope’s stay at the adjoining St. Vibiana complex.

Archdiocesan spokesman Father Joseph Battaglia, at a press briefing for Pope John Paul II’s visit Sept. 15-16 to Los Angeles, said that archdiocesan officials have told the U.S. Secret Service and the Los Angeles Police Department that “we don’t see this (Skid Row mission) as necessarily a problem.” But he conceded that the decision about the pontiff’s safety is out of the church’s hands.