NY, DC Prep for Papal Visit

He may be the only man who can draw Mets fans to Yankee Stadium: Next week, Pope Benedict XVI will lead a stadium Mass on his 6-day tour of Washington, DC and New York. Before gracing second base, the Pontiff will celebrate his 81st birthday at the White House, and visit churches—and a synagogue—in both cities.

Teams of church officials, Hollywood producers, and political veterans have spent months planning the papal trip, which will cost donors $3 million for the Washington visit alone, the New York Times reports. Harry Connick Jr. and Kelly Clarkson will headline a concert before Benedict’s Yankee Stadium Mass, but scalpers beware: Selling tickets for the high-security event is not only illegal, it's a sin. (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)