Welcome Pope Francis!
The People’s Pope will make history by visiting the United States for the first time today (September 22, 2015). He is planned to arrive around 4 p.m. at Joint Base Andrews. President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and their respective families will greet his Holiness at the base before venturing to Washington D.C. for a schedule full of festivities. Thousands will also journey to the D.C. area to welcome him. Traffic congestion is expected due to the amount of people traveling, road closures and security checkpoints.
Pope Francis is expected to have a warm welcome. According to a poll, more than half of Americans favor him. He will continue to make history by speaking before a joint session of Congress on Thursday, September 24, 2015 – a first for a Pope. His Holiness is expected to discuss some controversial topics such as: income inequality, capitalism, abortion, climate change, and immigration. Congress has been warn by Congressional leaders to be respectful of Pope Francis during his D.C. visit.
After Pope Francis visits Washington D.C., he will make additional visits to Philadelphia and New York City.