WASHINGTON - Pope Francis introduced himself to President Barack Obama and all people of the United States as a "son of an immigrant family" arriving in the United States for the first time to learn from others and to share from his own experience.
As Francis arrives in U.S., fans of all stripes welcome, watch and wait
By Adelle M. Banks, Religion News ServiceWASHINGTON - With cellphone cameras held high and cheers of delight, an enthusiastic and disparate crowd of hundreds gathered outside the Vatican Embassy Sept. 22 to welcome Pope Francis to the United States.
Pope Francis arrives, reassures Americans: ‘I’m a Catholic, not a communist!’
By David Gibson, Religion News ServiceWASHINGTON - Pope Francis touched down in Washington on Sept. 22 after a historic visit to Cuba, the first Latin American Pope in history on his first trip to the United States. He comes “as a migrant,” as a top papal aide put it, on a six-day visit filled with great expectations for the popular pontiff but also numerous challenges.
Meeting reporters on plane, Pope defends his teaching on social issues
By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News ServiceABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM CUBA - Pope Francis defended his position on the economy, the environment and other social issues as faithful repetitions of the basic Catholic social doctrine.