Pope Francis’ arrival in the U.S. is a low-key prelude to pageantry

Pope Francis landed to a red-carpet welcome on Tuesday as he opened his first visit to the United States determined to press the world’s last superpower to do more to care for the planet and its most marginalized inhabitants.

Sep 23, 2015

WASHINGTON: Pope Francis landed to a red-carpet welcome on Tuesday as he opened his first visit to the United States determined to press the world’s last superpower to do more to care for the planet and its most marginalized inhabitants.

The papal jet descended out of cloudy skies to touch down at Joint Base Andrews, the iconic post still better known as Andrews Air Force Base. His white robes flapping in the breeze and his skullcap held in his hand rather than on his head, the pontiff was greeted by President Obama, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and their families.

The exuberant but unassuming ceremony seemed designed especially for a pope who has inspired millions around the world with a humbler, more populist approach to the papacy. Hundreds of guests cheered, an honor guard stood at attention and a high school band performed the Pharrell Williams song “Happy.” Four children from local Roman Catholic schools greeted him, with one handing him flowers.

“Ho, ho, hey, hey, welcome to the U.S.A.,” the crowd chanted at one point. At another, it chanted, “We love Francis, yes we do. We love Francis, how about you?”

But there was little of the pageantry that awaits him at the White House on Wednesday. And the pope, who has made a point of shunning some of the perks of his exalted position since his ascension in 2013, then climbed into a decidedly modest Fiat 500L hatchback for the ride to the Apostolic Nunciature, the equivalent of an embassy, where he was staying.

The pope’s arrival inaugurated a journey spanning six days that will take him from here to New York and Philadelphia and feature several Masses celebrated before huge crowds, the first canonization on American soil, an address to Congress and not a small degree of tension over his message.

Many of his themes coincide with those of Mr. Obama, but some diverge in significant ways that could flavor the visit.

Francis became only the third pope to visit Washington, and the capital was abuzz over his arrival. A vast security cordon was established from the Capitol to the White House to the Apostolic Nunciature, including road closings and pedestrian limits. Tens of thousands of residents and visitors prepared to converge at his planned stops, and politicians of all stripes were busy claiming his moral authority for their causes.

“The pope is a singular figure, and he has really stirred the souls of people all around the world,” said Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary.

Francis arrived here from Cuba, where he concluded a four-day visit on Tuesday morning in its heartland of religion and revolution, visiting the shrine of the country’s patron in El Cobre and delivering his final words to the Cuban people in the nearby city of Santiago de Cuba.

He celebrated Mass at a church near the mountains of the Sierra Maestra that houses the 19th-century shrine of the Virgin of Charity. The shrine holds the country’s most venerated Catholic icon: a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mary found in the nets of local fishermen more than 400 years ago. Afterward, he delivered an ode to family at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Santiago de Cuba.

While some had hoped he would raise the issues of human rights and political liberty with his Cuban hosts, Francis opted instead to be cautious. He did not meet with Cuban dissidents or directly challenge President Raúl Castro or his brother, Fidel, though some analysts interpreted several of his comments as veiled disapproval of the government’s ideological bent.

Carlos Alzugaray Treto, a Cuban former diplomat close to the Castros, said the pope’s restrained remarks worked to the advantage of both Cuba’s president and Mr. Obama because they allowed the two countries to continue their push toward normal relations. “It’s a win-win situation for these three guys,” he said. “They all want the same thing.”

Speaking with reporters on the flight to the United States, Francis disagreed with the suggestion that he had been “soft” on the Cuban government, describing the trip as pastoral and intended to give hope to ordinary people. He said he turned down all requests for private meetings, including one with visiting heads of state, but added that the Vatican’s ambassador invited dissidents to his appearance at the cathedral in Santiago.--The New York Times