. >> and a quick reminder, you can keep up to date with all the news on our website. there as on the screen, the address aljazeera.com. on "america tonight", the first stop. pope francis begins his visit to the united states here in the nation's capital. he's delivered surprises to the capital. what is the most surprising thing that the pope said or done. sheila macvicar begins the social coverage of the pope's visit. also, a look ahead at california's saint to be, and why many americans knew him as a sinner. >> you could be flogged for a bad attitude.

a lot of people died. >> what kind of saint would allow that. >> i think he was guilty of excesses of punishment "america tonight"s michael oku with a mixed blessing. i'm joie chen. st. patrick's church, washington d.c. may seem like an obvious place for the papal visit. it's the oldest parish in the capitol hill and president's and other a list guests. when pope francis visits, it will be a first, even for this church. that might not be surprising when you consider that pope

francis, in his short tenure as leader of 1.2 billion catholics has been a ground breaker. a game changer for the church. in our special week of coverage "america tonight" seeks to find out who pope francis is, and will look at the changes that he's made in the church. we begin with "america tonight"s sheila macvicar. >> father matthew, like pope francis is a jesuit. he's a professor of government at georgetownniversity, one of the most prestigious jesuit schools in america. he pent his adult life studying the issues of social and economic justice. closely identified with the pope. he lived in argentina when the pope was the local archbishop. poor. >> how has his life in argentina, as experienced there, informed his view of his papacy and what it should be.

>> coming from argentina, he grew up being exposed to high degrees of inequality, large differences between the rich and the poor. trifling. >> no, no, no, a working class family, a simple family, and trained on basic values. he talked about the value of his grandmother. talked about the ways hards work mattered. that work has dignity, that people be treated with respect. >> as a boy, he saw inequity, as a young man pope francis led a secular life. before becoming a priest he worked as a chemical technician and a nightclub bouncer, as he rose through the ranks of the church, he visited some of the poorest neighbourhoods of buenos aires. the pope's bagged as a reg u lair joe, a prost that remains

close to his flock. comes through. >> he is ground. that's built on experience there in the slums of buenos aires. and his own history. i think he's of coursing us to question the world around us, rather than discussing the stock markets and ups and downs, but afford. >> he addressed the stockmarket. >> yes, he said it's scandalous that we worry about a couple of points on the stock market than those dying. >> reporter: he meets with the hungry, and building showers in st. peters squares for those that sleep there. the first time he left the vatican as pope, it was to comfort refugees, risking their lives, seeking asylum in europe.

this summer as hundreds of thousands struggled to find a spaf haven, he called on catholic churches to offer shelter to refugees, and brought a syrian christian family to live in the vatican. xauls for social and economic justice, condemnation of what he called unfettered capitalism prompted some to accuse pope francis of being a closet markist. rush lim bore is among those to attack the pope. some have written this story or gotten to him. this is marxism. there's no such unfettered capitalism that doesn't exist. in response. the pope told the newspaper that markist ideology is wrong. but: he's not talking about an

economics textbook. groups need to act. company's need to act. national governments. but he is pushes us to see at the first level the human cost live. >> it's not just his message, but his actions that captured imaginations, from his own choice of lifestyle, shunning the apartments, to a choice of car, hard to imagine a less luxurious pope mobile. he signalled intent to be with people, and pope francis showed willingness to ignore the church's own rules. he washed the feet of inmates. the washing the feet being a gesture of humility. this time he included the feet of women. this image, i think, is francis's blessing moved to many when it appeared in respect

newspapers and on websites around the globe. >> somewhere along the way he learned to communicate with people. looking into people's eyes, understood what it means to take their hand and give them 100% attention. francis's way is he'll get in the pope-mobile, his eye is on individuals, not on the crowd, not on the big statements. what he says, when he speaks is usually brief. he boils things down to three words or phrases. then they'll spend hours in the pope-mobile going around, stopping it over and over to meet the individuals. he seems to love the faces. >> what is the most surprising thing that the pope has done? >> tremendously difficult question. the most surprising thing, so many things struck me. i think the most

striking thing he's done is his embrace of those on the margins. >> francis it's the first big news. it's a flight back from the papal visit. he was asked to which he reply who am i judge. how important is this that he's who am i to judge. it's the first of a person. this is about the person who in their wholeness is doing their best to live a christian life. rather than focus. that's the place where they can be heeled and loved. >> those words were enough for the l.g.b.t. publication, the

advocate to name him their 2013 person of the year, to theaut outrageof many of their readers. the pope did not deserve the honour. >> this june pope francis made head lines when he issued this headline, calling climate change a big challenge. the bus lead one house republican to announce he'll skip the pope's address to congress this thursday. pope francis played a key behind the scenes role in re-establishing diplomatic relations between cuba and the united states. cuba's communist president said he was so impressed by the pope he may return to the church. >> in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. other questions of catholic teaching, divorce, marriage - this pope started by asking

members of the church their views. sending a survey to every diocese asking questions. what's it like to be a divorced and married catholic and e live according to the teaching of birth control. what is if like trying to live family. >> reporter: do you think the church is interested in hearing those answers? >> i think he is. i think the church was not sure how to interpret the answers. i'm not sure if the church knows how to interpret them. he told us we shouldn't be frayed of that, we should be -- be afraid of that. we should be willing to listen. >> pope francis is acting on what he is hearing. the vatican announced rules to speed up the process of annulment, allowing catholics to participate in the sackry meant. >> what is the most revolutionary thing. that's when you look outwards

that way, you say things like who am i to judge. then you say things like "i want to engage and remarry and make sure they know to belong. that's fundamentally understanding the popes, the a papal visit. the making of a saint and why so many americans are focussed on the since. >> i died and came back to life... but yet still wanted to get high. >> i have prostituted. >> for drugs? >> for drugs, yeah. >> we're dealing with the worst drug epidemic in united states' history. >> she said "dad, please don't leave me here". i said "honey, i don't have any choice".

pass welcome back to st.

patrick's, the oldest parish in washington d.c., an early stop on pope francis's historic tour. the original tour was built on site to serve the irish stonemasons who came to build the white house. it's that parts of the church's history that explains why the pope is stopping here. it's a church this was built to serve not the great leaders, but its labourers. we discussed that with monsignor. >> christ was always out there with sinners, profit it utes. he was out there for him. this pope is following the scriptures and examples. the pope has a great love for thpeople. he loves the poor, and he's preaching and living the message of the gospels, to go forth to

feed the hungry, and we are blessed because catholic charities are behind us. when the cope decided to come. naturally he wanted to come to the catholic charities. and we are blessed because we are right here. they feel the pride. the people that bep -- belong to the parish feel the pride. with all the history. it will be visited by the holy father. they'll beam with pride. too much is a sin, but in this case, it's good pride. this is the pope.

na makes it falling above the other visitors that have been here. it's the pope, the vicar of christ. our holy father. >> what do you see in your church. how has he influenced your congregation, your people? >> i think his life type. we can preach the gospel, to be kind, to be compassionate. if we walk by those in need, if we turn our back on those who are asking for assistance, they are just needs. this holy father preaches and lives it. >> he came with a number of surprises. what is the biggest to you. >> i love the fact when he said who am i to gauge about gays and lesbians. >> yes.

>> he's just reminding us what christ did and said. >> nevertheless there are catholics that are concerned that he's going towards a less traditional view of the role. >> i think he is a traditionalist. he is telling us we don't have the right to judge. that's what we do sometimes, we judge. because in person is gay. because this person had an abortion. because this person is poor. they are not like me. i don't want to associate with them. he's telling us we are all god's children, no matter what we do, no matter how we act. god never turns his back on any of us, so why should i turn my back on people. >> a lot of people may say the

pope is the leader of catholics, why is there focus by everyone on the pope's visit. why is it a big deal to all catholic. >> wherever he goes, whenever he is hugging or blessing someone. he doesn't say to the mother, is this child catholic. he does not say to the person, are you catholic, he sees christ in all people. and i think all people are seeing christ in him. he said that he doesn't believe he'll have long in the papacy, believing that it could be relatively short. five, seven years, perhaps. less than 10. can you see what his blessing might be? >> his leg as si is built every day. he is going in many directions, doing so much for the church, so much for the people of god, all people of god. >> i don't want to speculate

what his legacy will be, nor would i want to speculate on how long he will be here. he's not sure how long he'll be here. god knows. himself. next in the special coverage, saint or sinner - pope francis's choice and why it's a mixed blessing.

>> i've been asked to keep my voice down

.eep my voice down >> pope francis steps on new ground throughout his trip here at st. patrick's, becoming the first pope to visit the oldest parish in the capital stip. the visit will park another first, the canonization of an

hispanic american, whose story is herd by every kid in california, not without controversy. "america tonight"s michael oku on californians that see him more of a sinner than a saint. >> reporter: this is a story of a founding father you probably have never heard of and good and evil in the name of god and goal. while the american revolution was under way in 1776, spanish priest was busy completing his 7th mission along the californian coast, five years after being sent to convert the new world. >> to californians, he's the founder of our state, and he funds the first nine missions of 21 missions. >> historrian and author spent a dozen years researching and writing his recently published book about father sara. >> he was so eyes, ahead of his time. he was a great

legislature. people say he wrote the first series of laws that governed california in 1974. father sierra arrived through mexico. by his side, spanish soldiers in search of gold. along the way they concurred one of the last remaining native american groups, a conquest sara began to oppose. >> sara was not for taking the land. i think he grew apart from the authorities. as years went by. he began to question the repaciousness of soldiers. by the time they were completed.

many persons it's estimated more were bury. a large percentage of population killed by disease. rapes, beatings, floggings, they were part of the mission life. >> so you might understand why some native american groups are angry over plans to make father sara a saint. >> why sara. >> reporter: georgie arounda is a member of the tribe, and professor of indian studies, for her, sara was no saint. people may forget that the father was the architect of the system in california that was so devastating to native american cultures in california. >> there was a change. the argument is the indians suffered. >> they suffered greatly. >> reporter: how so. >> you could be flogged 10 times for a bad attitude. a lot of people died.

that. >> sara wrote in support of flogging native americans to keep order. >> i think he was guilty of the excesses of the corporal punishment. if he made the indians suffer when he didn't want to. >> blaming sara for all of the sins for the concert goes. with the since of colonialism. >> you know the social order of the day was like it or not, was the european powers came to the places like the new world, into africa and other parts of asia\and tried to con kerr and colonize them. does he get a pass because this was the context of the time. >> no.

do you know why? because we are still suffering. >> we have lost land, we have suffered greatly. we have so many ills in our communities, i don't want to name them all. >> this stretch of malibu is the last remaining partial of land according to eldsers. they once occupied most of the californian coast. now yes just have a village, where we met this member. red star. >> what is your view on in, in a nutshell. >> about sara. i wasn't there, i don't know. there was a lot of wrong done, that he could have prevented. >> he is part of a group that will have a chance to tell pope think. >> if you are one of nine native americans, who was going to have an audience with the pope, it's an amazing privilege. what will you say to

him. >> father sara, and the californian indians have an issue know. >> they express regret for what happens to native americans, and last spring. they said don't take the camera off of the flaws, but look at the goodness. they believe the counter pope sara. >> what is the first thing pope francis did when he became vote? he walks out of the vatican to app prison and washes their feet. that is what father sara did entering mexico. he picked 12 elderly indians, got warm water in a basin and washed their smelly feet to pay

god. >> some people that we spoke to said gather sara was a brave man. he had compassion. was there truth in that. >> i am sure he believed he was doing the best he could for god. >> sanchez doesn't want anyone to forget the dark history of californian misses. >> they don't realise they are dead. >> we wanted to talk to you, why didn't you do that. >> my great-grandmother is buried unted a parking lot. you. >> very. >> reporter: this village was the only place she considered talking to us. this is where she feels closest to god. in is her house of

worship now. >> reporter: the complex storing of the making of the saint. that's "america tonight". our special coverage of the pope's historic village and impact on americas continues throughout this week. tell us what you think on twitter and facebook. and come back for more coverage tomorrow on "america tonight". >> what do you want american's to understand? >> there's so much injustice. >> workers are being injured constantly.

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