Obamas receive Pope Francis at the airport

September 23, 2015 02:09

Pope Francis landed on US soil for the first time on Tuesday, launching a six-day visit that will highlight his love for the poor and his willingness to tackle the nation's most significant political, social and economic controversies.

In an unprecedented welcome for a foreign dignitary, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters along with Vice President Joe Biden and his family traveled to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington to greet the pontiff, who arrived from Cuba.

The flags of the United States and the Vatican flapped in a blustery breeze from the cockpit windows of the pope's chartered Italian jet as it rolled to a stop near a line of priests in black and red robes and a group of schoolchildren from local Catholic schools.

The Argentine-born pope appeared at the top of the stairs of the plane, smiled and removed his skullcap so it would not be blown away by the wind. Obama greeted him at the foot of the steps with a handshake and a warm smile.

Obama will roll out an official welcoming ceremony for Francis on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday. The pope will then parade through downtown Washington in his Popemobile, with thousands of people expected to line the sidewalks. He'll hold a canonization later in the day at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

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