JOKE ISSUE/Jesus Christ! Pope to visit U. eveangelist

In a statement released by the Vatican yesterday, Pope John Paul II announced that he will make a visit to Penn Monday to meet personally with evangelist Stephen White, known around campus as Brother Stephen. The trip is exclusive to Philadelphia and is not part of an organized U.S. tour. "There are many issues that the Church and Reverend White share common ground on," the Pope said in the statement. "By working together there are many doctrines we can impart to Christians, as well as members of other faiths around the world." The almost 80-year-old Pope is scheduled to say mass at the Church of St. Agatha and St. James at 38th and Chestnut streets at 10 a.m., which will be followed by the meeting with White. He will also travel down Locust Walk in his bullet-proof glass vehicle. The Pope, one the most traveled pontiffs in history, last visited the United States at the end of January. "We are absolutely delighted that His Holiness -- the Pope -- has chosen our parish to say mass," said Karl Zeuner, pastor of the Church of St. Agatha and St. James. "He is truly blessing us with his presence and we are looking forward to welcoming him to our community," Zeuner added. The meeting between the Pope and Brother Stephen -- which will take place in the Zellerbach Auditorium -- will be open to the public and sponsored by Connaissance. A question-and-answer session with audience members will follow the discussion between the two religious leaders. "It is a great honor to me, as both a Christian and a preacher," White said of the Pope's intended visit. He added that while "I do not do God's work for fame, it is nice for my efforts to be noticed by such an esteemed religious figure." White, 35, a resident of Philadelphia, is well-known on campus for his energetic preachings against "whoremongering" and "fornication." He frequently stands around yelling and screaming like a mad man while dozens of students watch and laugh. "Universities are centers of sin and straying," the Pope said. "Reverend White is helping with the Church's work of bringing the stray sheep back to the flock." Connaissance Co-Director Dara Gruen said she expects the Pope's visit to be a popular one. "We are predicting that [the meeting] will be as popular as Loveline was [in February]," the College senior said. "And hopefully people won't be walking out in the middle like that ridiculous event we held on Monday." Gruen said that the group has not yet decided how to sell tickets for the event, but that they are hoping to fit as many people as possible into the theater, which seats 950. She said they were considering holding another scavenger hunt so that the Pope's "biggest fans" would get a chance to have good seats. And student leaders said they were angry they were not consulted on Connaissance's decision to lure in the Pope. They will hold a rally later this week to protest the announcement.