Tight security, a raffle and a 'motorized cart': The UN prepares for Pope's visit

The last time Melody Cruz had the chance to meet Pope Francis was in the Philippines — the country with the largest Catholic population in Asia — during the pontiff's five-day trip there in January.

But Cruz, who was home receiving treatment for ovarian cancer, was forced to watch his visits with victims of Typhoon Haiyan and his public mass in Manila on television.

''I had just finished my last chemo session,'' she says. ''I couldn't be around crowds because of my immune system.''

Cruz, who works at the United Nations' Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York City, hopes she'll have better luck when the Pope travels to the UN later this month to address world leaders in the General Assembly.

''I feel this is my big chance, '' she says.

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There is enormous interest in Francis' first visit to the U.S. at the end of this month. In anticipation, the UN is preparing an elaborate plan that includes not only tight security but proper protocol on how to move the 78-year-old pontiff through the building — as well as creative methods to deal with staffers wanting to witness the historic occasion.

A lottery to see Francis

The UN has set up a lottery for employees who want to see, hear and maybe even meet the Pope. An estimated 850 raffle tickets are up for grabs, and Melody Cruz isn't taking any chances. She's enlisted the help of co-workers, asking them to enter the raffle on her behalf.

''The more entries, the more chance of winning,'' she says. Cruz is praying the Pope will give her a personal "healing blessing."

Fabia Yazaki, a statistician in the UN's Department of Public Information, has a different wish.

''I hope he touches my belly, because I'm expecting a baby, so it'll be a blessed baby,'' says Yazaki, who is from Brazil.

That Latin American country has the most Roman Catholics in the world — an estimated 155 million, according to the World Christian Database. Yazaki quips she has "connections in high places" and has faith she'll score a raffle ticket.

The results of the lottery will only be announced a few days before the actual visit, but Catherine Pollard, the assistant secretary-general for General Assembly and Conference Management, says she's already received emails and requests from UN staff.

"I think I will be the most unpopular person at the end of this all," she jokes.

Pollard's staff is handling the logistics of the UN papal visit, which is being charted down to the last minute because of time constraints.

Rare visit

Francis's UN address on the morning of Sept. 25 will mark the fifth time a pontiff has spoken in the General Assembly. He will also make stops in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia during his first visit to the United States.

His UN speech will come ahead of a high-level summit to adopt a new set of universal development goals aimed tackling hunger, poverty and climate change. The General Assembly had to adopt a special decision pushing back the start time of the international gathering to allow Francis time to speak at the podium.

"It's a tight program within a very constrained period of time,'' says Pollard, adding that there are a lot of details when it comes to organizing a visit from the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

"For instance, who walks behind whom? Who gets into the elevator with the Pope?" she says.

"We have to know all of this beforehand, because once we start, we just go, go, go."

Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive at UN headquarters at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 for a meeting and photo opportunity with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and others including Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson.

''Because of the heavy, heavy security arrangements [that day], we've already advised staff they can work from home,'' says Pollard.

After his meetings, Francis will head to the lobby of the Secretariat building for what's being billed as a "town hall" with UN staffers who have won one of the coveted raffle tickets.

Pollard says the pontiff will address employees from a temporary stage and take part in a wreath-laying ceremony for staff who have died while in service, before making his way to the General Assembly Hall, where he will come in through the ceremonial entrance at the back of the room before addressing world leaders.

According to the latest figure from Pollard's office, an "unprecedented" 164 heads of state and government have confirmed their presence in New York to mark the 70th anniversary of the United Nations this year. 

Because the timing is so tight, Pollard says the Pope will travel to the General Assembly hall in a "motorized cart" through corridors lined with more raffle ticket winners, their children and students from the UN International School.

''He will be moving along at a slow and steady pace, not zipping along so no one sees him,'' says Pollard.

''But if his Holiness asks the driver to stop [to speak to someone], I don't think any of us are in a position to tell him, 'No, we can't.'"