adminWashington — The United States awoke on Wednesday to tens of thousands streaming into its capital before sun-up to see Pope Francis, arriving for security checks hours before he is to appear.
Francis’ agenda included a visit to the White House, with a meeting with President Barack Obama and a speech to 15,000 special guests on the White House lawn at a full state honours ceremony.
The 78-year-old pontiff is then scheduled to ride his popemobile in a parade around the Ellipse, a park adjoining the White House, so that those without tickets can catch a glimpse of the Catholic leader.
About 200,000 visitors were expected.
In the afternoon, Francis is due to attend a prayer service with 300 US bishops before leading the canonisation mass for Franciscan friar Junipero Serra (1713-84), who founded nine missions in California.
Twenty-five thousand people are expected at the canonisation ceremony, to take place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Sunny weather was expected throughout the day of outdoor mass gatherings, and crowds were already making good use of it early on Wednesday.
Thousands passed through three gates onto the Ellipse beginning at 04:00.
At the intersection of 15th and Constitution, they waited up to half an hour to filter through 12 metal detectors and faced as many as seven hours more until the popemobile’s arrival.
Vendors sold Vatican flags, rosaries, pens and T-shirts with the pope’s image and the slogan, “Love Is Our Mission” as one street preacher shouted proclamations that “the pope is not holy”.
The White House gates opened at 05:00 (09:00 GMT) for the 15,000 guests holding tickets: nuns, Catholic schoolgirls in uniform and many others, all dressed in their Sunday best.
“There’s an opportunity for the citizens of this country to welcome him and show how warmly his message has been received in this country, by both Catholics and non-Catholics alike,” White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said.
After a four-day visit to Cuba, Francis arrived on Tuesday at a military airport outside the US capital to begin his six-day tour of Washington, New York and Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, fresh off his meeting with President Barack Obama, Pope Francis was expected to deliver a speech yesterday to a US Congress led by Republicans who have opposed Obama on issues of importance to the pontiff, including climate change and immigration.
Francis, was set to become the first pope to address a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives later yesterday.
The Pope is expected to address climate change as well as the need to help migrants fleeing wars, international efforts to resolve conflicts, the US role in helping poorer nations, religious freedom and the “right to life” issues of abortion and euthanasia.
In the first papal encyclical dedicated to the environment, Francis in June called for “decisive action” to stop environmental degradation and global warming, squarely backing scientists who say it is mostly man-made.
Global warming is blamed by almost all experts on man-made greenhouse gas emissions, although many US Republicans including some of those running for president in 2016 have heaped doubt on that view. — AFP
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