Pope Francis Visits The White House | Remarks by President Obama & Pope

Posted on September 23, 2015 by rikyrah

Pope Francis is visiting the United States. It is his first visit to the USA – ever.

Pope Francis-1

The first leg of his trip will be in Washington, D.C.

FYI – did you know that 1/4 of the people in America are Catholic? I didn’t.

Pope Francis Visits America 2015-20

Wednesday, Sept. 23

Sept. 23
9:15 a.m. Welcome ceremony on the White House South Lawn and meeting with President Obama.

About 11 a.m. Popemobile parade around the Ellipse and a portion of the National Mall. Tickets are not required, but spectators will need to pass through security gates, which will open at 4 a.m. and close at 10 a.m.

11:30 a.m. Prayer with United States bishops at St. Matthew’s Cathedral, the mother church for the Archdiocese of Washington.

4:15 p.m. Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to canonize Rev. Junípero Serra as a saint. Pope Francis will arrive in a popemobile and will greet seminarians and novices entering religious orders. About 30,000 people will attend the Mass.

Pope Francis Visits America 2015-21

popemobile

Thursday, Sept. 24

10 a.m. — The Senate and House welcome the pope in a joint session. He will make the first-ever address to Congress, which will broadcast live on the Capitol’s West Front. This speech will be one of four he will hold in English. The remaining 14 speeches on his U.S. trip will be in his native Spanish.

11 a.m. — He makes a stop on the Capitol’s West Front, which overlooks the National Mall.

11:15 a.m. — St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese host Pope Francis. Only 60 parishioners culled from a lottery of church volunteers and about 250 clients and volunteers from Catholic Charities will be allowed in during the visit. Catholic Charities St. Maria’s Meals, which offers three weekly food programs in the Washington area, plans to have 55 tables set up for the poor and homeless to be served lunch as the pope blesses the food and walks through.

4 p.m. — The pope departs from Washington via Joint Base Andrews for New York.

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67 Responses to Pope Francis Visits The White House | Remarks by President Obama & Pope

    • Liza says:
      September 23, 2015 at 6:58 pm

      Bo and Sunny meeting Pope Francis is too cute. Of course, Pope Francis took his name from St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals (as well as the environment.) He does seem to like the fur children.

      Reply
  10. rikyrah says:
    September 23, 2015 at 5:43 pm

    The Pope’s Fiat continues to be hilarious to me.

    Reply
  15. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    September 23, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    Thanks for this great page, rikyrah!

    Reply
  24. rikyrah says:
    September 23, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    Pope Francis to Gift Rare $8 Million Bible to Congress

    It may be the most generous act of re-gifting on record.

    Pope Francis will present an extremely rare Bible that cost an estimated $8 million to produce to House Speaker John Boehner and the Library of Congress on Friday before he addresses lawmakers.

    Believed to be the first handwritten and illuminated bible produced since the invention of the printing press, the seven volume work is one of 12 such sets commissioned by a Minnesota Benedictine abbey.

    The 1,150-page work completed in 2011 was presented to Pope Francis in April by St. John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and Donald Jackson, the British calligrapher who collaborated with St. John’s to produce the English language bible…

    http://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/watch/pope-francis-to-gift-dollar8-million-bible-to-congress/vp-AAeGJE0

    Reply
  25. rikyrah says:
    September 23, 2015 at 1:12 pm

    per Tom&Lorenzo FLOTUS wore Carolina Herrara, a Latin American (Venezuelan) designer to greet the Pope at the airport.

    Reply
  26. rikyrah says:
    September 23, 2015 at 1:11 pm

    Per WWD, FLOTUS wore a midnight blue guipure lace and textured jacquard A-line dress with three-quarter sleeves by Monique Lhuillier when she and PBO received Pope Frankie this morning at the WH.

    Reply
  28. Ametia says:
    September 23, 2015 at 12:53 pm

    You can hear that fucked up questions at the 2:06 mark here. SMGDH

    Reply
    • Ametia says:
      September 23, 2015 at 12:47 pm

      “Why don’t you say something about the Negroes?” asks the reporters before President Obama politely shut her down by saying “Thank you, everybody.”

      Reply
      • Liza says:
        September 23, 2015 at 1:26 pm

        Does anyone know who it was who asked the question?

        I guess it was hoping too much that we could get through the day without a show of disrespect.

        Reply
  30. Ametia says:
    September 23, 2015 at 12:00 pm

    I love the GENUINE JOY & LAUGHTER the Pope & POTUS exude!

    Reply
  43. SouthernGirl2 says:
    September 23, 2015 at 9:57 am

    Rikyrah, this is awesome!

    Reply
  44. Ametia says:
    September 23, 2015 at 9:31 am

    Videos of POTUS & POPE’S remarks are posted above!

    Pope Francis weighed in on deeply divisive issues including climate change, Cuba, marriage and immigration on Wednesday in his first direct address to the American people since landing in the U.S.
    The pontiff, speaking before 11,000 ticketed guests at an elaborate welcoming ceremony on South Lawn of the White House, signaled he will take on controversial issues during his six-day visit.
    In prepared remarks that were laced more with politics rather than overtly religious messages and scripture, Francis said he was ready to listen to the “hopes and dreams of the American people” and to offer guidance to those charged with guiding the nation’s political future “in fidelity to its founding principles.”
    Get complete coverage of breaking news on CNN TV, CNN.com and CNN Mobile.

    Reply
  47. rikyrah says:
    September 23, 2015 at 8:56 am

    Gospel Choir right now!

    Reply
  48. TyrenM says:
    September 23, 2015 at 8:55 am

    I just told a Jewish partner here that though I’m not Catholic, I’m digging this Pope’s visit. He commented on Pope Francis being more “liberal and open than previous Popes.”

    I remember John Paul’s visit when I was a child but didn’t “get it.” This right here, right now is huge. Just one of those things that seems bigger than all of us. Time will tell.

    Reply
    • rikyrah says:
      September 23, 2015 at 8:57 am

      I don’t expect the Pope to be pro-choice on abortion. But, the fact that Pope Francis seems to care about more than just abortion, and that he seems to truly care about ‘the least of these’ – that counts for a lot.

      Reply
      • Liza says:
        September 23, 2015 at 12:43 pm

        I don’t think that the Catholic position on abortion will ever change. And I do not believe that women will be welcomed into the priesthood for a very long time, if ever. But there is plenty of other ground out there where a modern Pope can have a huge impact. The new encyclical on climate change is major, an encyclical defines the church’s official position, as I recall.

        Reply
  51. rikyrah says:
    September 23, 2015 at 8:24 am

    FLOTUS looks fabulous!

    Reply
  52. rikyrah says:
    September 23, 2015 at 8:09 am

    Looking at C-Span. Ethel Kennedy is right there, front row, with the Veep, Dr. Biden and Sec. Kerry.

    Reply
  58. Ametia says:
    September 23, 2015 at 7:56 am

    Pope Francis is outside the Diplomatic Mission greeting a chanting, exuberant crowd.

    Reply
  59. rikyrah says:
    September 23, 2015 at 7:45 am

    Pope met with joyous reception at US arrival, though darker politics lurk

    Rachel Maddow reports on the celebratory reception for the arrival of Pope Francis in the United States at a time when the world feels particularly tense, though the political right-wing in America is not particularly receptive to the pope’s model of Christianity.

    http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/pope-met-with-joyous-reception-at-us-arrival-530564675834

    Reply

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