At White House, hours in line for brief welcoming ceremony

The 11,000 ticketed guests and a cast of hundreds of extras — military units, musicians and federal employees — who waited on the White House lawn to greet Pope Francis Sept 23 were clearly there as fans of the visiting pope.

Oct 01, 2015

WASHINGTON: The 11,000 ticketed guests and a cast of hundreds of extras — military units, musicians and federal employees — who waited on the White House lawn to greet Pope Francis Sept 23 were clearly there as fans of the visiting pope.

As the sun rose over a spectacularly blue September sky, a cross section of the US population from across the country waited for hours for a welcoming ceremony that was over in a matter of minutes.

Blocks-long lines for security checkpoints stretched through closed-off streets in the hours before dawn. On the grounds of the White House and its adjacent buildings, yellow-and-white Vatican flags flew alongside the US Stars and Stripes.

Once through security, people then spent a couple more hours waiting on the South Lawn, with musical selections provided by military bands.

As the designated time drew near, circling helicopters and eventually the revving of motorcycles at the lead of the papal motorcade signaled the approach of the third pope to visit the White House.

When the small Fiat carrying Pope Francis looped onto the White House driveway, those standing farthest from the small stage set up on the lawn were the first to get a glimpse, sending up a chorus of cheers that moved through the crowd, mirroring the car’s path.

At the top of the driveway, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greeted the Pope for the second time in as many days, having first welcomed him at Joint Base Andrews on Francis’ arrival from Cuba the afternoon of Sept 22. -- CNS

Total Comments:0

Name
Email
Comments