WASHINGTON – Pope Francis arrived on his first visit ever to the
United States on Tuesday, bringing to Washington a message that its power and wealth
should be used to serve humanity.

Bestowing on Francis an honor that few foreign dignitaries
receive, both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden personally greeted
the 78-year-old Argentine on the tarmac after the Alitalia papal plane landed at
Joint Base Andrews near the capital.

Schoolchildren cheered the pontiff in his first moments on U.S.
soil, chanting “Hello, hey, hey, welcome to the USA.”

Obama, his wife Michelle Obama and their daughters shook the
pope’s hand on the red carpet.

The six-day visit to America gives Francis an opportunity to

deliver his message of compassion and simplicity to the world’s
richest and most powerful country.

Francis ended a four-day Cuba trip and headed to the United
States with a message of reconciliation for the former Cold War foes while
avoiding controversy on the U.S. trade embargo or human rights on the
Communist-run island.

The first Latin American pope has electrified liberal-leaning
U.S. Catholics, Democrats and many non-Catholics with a shift in emphasis
toward concern for the poor and immigrants and his appeals for action against
climate change. But his criticism of unbridled capitalism has unsettled U.S.
conservatives.

In keeping with his unpretentious style, the pontiff left the
air base headed for Washington in a small Fiat car, in contrast to the long
motorcades of large SUVs used by U.S. presidents.

Francis will give the first speech by any pope to the U.S.
Congress on Thursday, an address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York on
Friday and an open-air Mass in Philadelphia where 1.5 million people are
expected to attend.

The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, whom
conservatives have accused of being too liberal, said his pleas for social
justice were based on Church teachings.

 U.S. President Obama
welcomed Pope Francis to the White House on Wednesday with warm praise for the
popular pontiff’s work to lift up the poor and his commitment to fight climate
change.

Obama thanked the pope for his help in thawing relations between
the United States and Cuba and called his message of “mercy” one that
highlights the need to take in war refugees and immigrants.

The president singled out the pope’s push for action on global
warming, an issue that divides Democrats and Republicans in the United States.

“Holy Father, you remind us that we have a sacred
obligation to protect our planet, God’s magnificent gift to us,” Obama
said, according to prepared remarks.

“We
support your call to all world leaders to support the communities most vulnerable
to a changing climate and to come together to preserve our precious world for
future generations.”