could you -- and when he was in philippines he said a mother can not visit her children in a glass cage. he wants to physically touch people. he has a short period of time and he is talking about he only has a short period of time to get the job done and he will do it as best he can. >> some talk that perhaps he would follow the example of benedict and retire and maybe at the aim of 80. >> he could. he respected benedict for the humble gesture, and the jesuits are superiors for since years so think maybe after six years he will call it quits. i have heard that a reason he is telling people he will be here only a short period is, what will happen? he is pushing for change.

giving a blessing there. a young girl. just before he steps in. he will be in a jeep in the parade. you are on the parade route and this is a lost security? >> a line of police officers that is along the parade route where pope francis will be coming and you can see there is a huge army of officers, park police and i want to show through if i can, there are uniforms, military, down here on this end behind me. and right behind that we have a long bang of metal detectors what everyone out here, thousands of people had to go through in order to get a spot on the parade route. you can see behind me there are still masses of people coming in here, thousands and thousands of people lining the parade route all waiting to see pope francis, they are hoping, they hope they catch a hook soon.

-- a look soon. >> i walked here from the white house earlier and washington is shut down. they have given federal government workers ability to stay home, work from hope if you want, you do not have to come in. the streets are deserted but where they are gathering for pope francis now getting ready just a few minutes behind scam to head to the white house and go down massachusetts avenue and be greeted by the president. are there shots of the white house? the president's cabinet has been gearing there on the lawn and you can see it, the president and the pope will come out on to the balcony after they both speak to the crowd of 20,000 people. ethel kennedy is a special guest between dr. biden and secretary of state john kerry. people francis is rolling out on massachusetts avenue for the drive to the white house. >> you talk about ethel kennedy,

if john f. kennedy had a pope to the white house america who is gone nuts it was so 1960 to get a catholic elected president and everyone said the pope would be running the country and not long after the famous telegram that was supposed to have come from the vatican to the first catholic nominee for president saying "unpack." that was al smith much the fear that the pope would be running that the pope would be running america if the we have the speaker of the house of representatives. >> 31 percent of the congress is catholic. >> half the candidates for republican president are

catholic. >> a majority of the supreme court, as well. >> although catholics have different views. >> extremely different views and divided. if you think of the early history of our country with the anticatholicism and washington is closed down for the pope jefferson and davis would be turning over if their grave. >> but it is happy, you can see it a glorious morning in washington, dc, the sun hitting the portico perfectly. the marine band is playing for the president. and father jim, the holy see has a national anthem? >> ii don't think most catholics know that. before he was elected pope, they played something, and i said i had never heard that song in my

entire life so it was a lesser known him. >> we know ava maria. >> and the pole will become the first pope, ever, to speak to a joint meeting of the congress and there has been some anxiety about his message. >> had has been incredible anxiety especially on the leadership, the republican leadership because they do not agree with income equality and they disagree on climate change and worried what he will say about immigration reform and he spoke of criminal justice and some degrees are concerned. he could speak conservatively on the issues of life, on the issues of gay marriage and he is walking into this environment very popular figure but a very divisive environment. the other thing, the white house

is very encouraged by this being a moment with he could break a gridlock. they want to see to he will push forward and get beyond the problems we have in congress. >> that could be wishful thinking. before we get to that, father jim, the pope also has a meeting this afternoon with his bishops at s. matthews can theme, which is historic, where john f. kennedy's funeral was held. and behind closed doors and in public, the pope has been somewhat stern. >> he has and the famous christmas message he listed all of sins that he thought the vatican bishops had including career emand what he called spiritual alzheimer's disease forgetting they are christians. he is facing some push back from some of the american bishops and this is his time to speak to them as their pastor but to

encourage them to open their ears to what he is trying to say. >> something that when we talk about the length of the papacy he knows the legacy in the end will be the bishops who he appointed. so this is something that they are all watching to see how he behaves, the most recent appointment, james johnson to the diocese of st. charles is an interesting choice because it cops after a sex abuse scandal there with the bishop having covered up and he has been very outgoing to the victims of sex abuse. these are statements that the pope has made. >> george, he has a poignant quote saying if you are a christian leader and your church and you are not serving the poor you should

not pitches are not doing that he think they are not doing their job. >> and the cardinal o'malley from boston has worked so hard on the sexual abuse issue but setting an example in reach out to the poor. >> he wears the sandals and worked with the poor in many different places and they are very alined in what the pope is trying to do. some of the bishops could be in a sense...struggling to understand the message the same this any organization when a new boss comes in. the old boss has certain priors and the new boss has certain pry over thes and it is matter of being open. >> so many see a pope who gets them and you are feeling that all morning on the route? >> we met people would got here at midnight. we saw sleep bags here and it is funny i talked with a young woman saying it feels like a

concert like britney spears and she said, are you kidding, this is better than britney spears. is better than britney spears. you have been here since >> 2:30 in the o. >> george, it is probably hard for you to hear me. people are screaming and clearing and they are clearing in spanish "the pope is here." there is a sense of emotion. there is a sense of emotion. i was me of that. >> they feel the love of the pope. so much of the energy in the american catholic church and the pope will speak to him as an immigrant. >> 30 quick of the church -- 30 percent of the church is hispanic the fastest growing segment of the church.

they someone who can speak to them in their language the only four addresses in united states will be in english. that reflects the growing catholic population that is hispanic. >> we know that the pope is not comfortable in english but practicing for several months. he knows how important it is. >> he has been practicing and santa a video message to the world conference on families, the meeting on families in philadelphia in english. you could hear the heavy accent but we are told the pope not going to ad lib but read the frenched text. he is not really comfortable to speak off the cuff in english he has other languages. on the plane yesterday we asked him if he would take a question in english and he said in

italian "english, not my strong suit." at the abc town meeting he said to the nun, he said i don't know if it is present for a pope to say this but i love you. >> pope closing in on the white house now less than a minute away and the president his way with the anthem, a greeting from the president who will introduce the pope to the official welcoming committee and music and remarks from both the president and the pope before they go back inside and appear on the balcony above the south lawn and come out and greet the crowd before a private meeting this morning. matthew, in the private meeting we know they have met before the president and pope and that is where they will get to business. >> you that is the business they

got done at the vatican where the president and the pope built this partnership they now both actually talk about, how the situation in cuba was resolved. they will have some substantive connections. >> the reports that the administration has been working with the vatican to try to get prisoners out of iran and that has been such a huge part of opposition to the iranian nuclear deal so if the vatican could help it would will great. >> there is a sense the pope is going to press the white house on the refugee situation and america doing more. >> secretary john kerry announced they would lit the -- lift the limit of the refugees to 100,000. this has seized europe. it is setting an example at the van can by taking a

family into the vatican. >> and there is a line you shall not oppress the refugee, you were refugees your sex once yourself once. >> he is making it concrete, requiring the parish to do this. >> son of this pope in contrast to pope benedict, a scholar, this has been about actions, not word. >> john paul was a philosopher and spoke and wrote like one and benedict spoke and wrote like one pope francis pastor. >> and his namesake said preach alwayses and sometimes use words. >> that is what he has been doing every step of the way. he now is, we believe, close to the white house. it could take longer.

is there such a thing as pope time? >> the vatican thinks centuries, not minutes. >> i love that he left the dignitaries waiting meeting with the people. >> would he legers -- lingers with is important. >> honor guard is call president obama and pope francis on the south lawn of the white house.

they will play anthem. wonder what is happening? >> it is silent on the lawn. the expectation is huge. >> and merging of two images. >> the president was happy greeting the pope and introducing him to his family including his mother-in-law. >> matthew, you have to be careful not to...not to crow about this or make too much of the similarities between the agenda of the president. agenda of the president. >> they are cog

the white house. we will get closer to the arrival of the pope. we will hear him for the first time in the united states. this is as elaborate ceremony as you can have at the white house and you can feel the energy at the white house on the lawn and behind the scenes. everyone energized by this. everyone has a spring in their steps. so much anticipation. it is a big week for the white house, the pope is visiting and they will have president xi of china for a state visit. not often do you have two state visits of this magnitude in the same week. >> two leaders representing a billion people. >> i was at the white house when the first visit of the pope to the white house, john paul, and

it was similarly exciting, he was young and energetic and there was a from delve excitement but this wasn't the same sense of affection you see here today. >> can you see all of the preparations here at white house. you have covered the white house's and you have covered the preparations for the trip at the vatican and this is huge undertaking. >> it is. the mood here, talking about the silence of the when the on guard came to attention. you watch the ceremony the pomp and pageantry that could be mustered, the last thing the pope did before leaving rome meeting with the soon rough gentleman family staying in the walls of the have the can. he spoke how moved he was and how important it was to welcome that family. the refugee family, from syria, to the vatican.

>> you said yesterday the pope addressed on the plane those who were trying to put teach of a put too much of a political label on him. >> this was a cover that asked, is the pope catholic? he said, a lot of people think i am a lastist but that is an error. i have not said one word, not one word that is not in the social doctrine of the church. >> father jim, an important point, the pope emphasizes, however you take his words he has not changed church doctrine. >> he is speaking the gospel which sounds radical because we are not used to hearing it so forcefully. and he said i can recite the creed any time you would like. >> had has been criticism of the

guest list at the white house. there are 20,000 people and they criticize about six them but the president has invited activists in american public life and american religious public life including the nuns on the bus. here we go.

>> the silence at the white house as they wait for pope francis and the president. [ band performing >> ladies and gentleman, the president of the united states president of the united states and mrs. michelle >> president and mrs. obama waiting for pope >> president and mrs. obama

you can hear the cheers. crowd is sensing the pope is moments away. >> who doesn't like pomp? >> it comes with the job. >> he is used to it. he was at a mass with the pope and everyone was trying to help and he said, it is fine, i have and he said, it is fine, i have said mass many times.

>> what a fanfare from the trumpets and then you see that little fiat with the pope is being introduced to the pope is being introduced to the president by the chief of protocol.

the pope's translator is right there. over his shoulder. the president is going to introduce the pope to members of introduce the pope to members of the welcoming committee >> ladies and gentleman, the national anthem of the holy see followed by the national anthem followed by the national anthem of the united states. [ band performing

and of the united states of america. and now a musical tribute. >> matthew you say what a remarkable picture the president and the pope, first african-american trip and the first latin american pope. >> an image that 10 years ago someone would say is a fiction that would never happen.

>> including themselves. >> the president and his people have been very clear in the lead up to the visit is how important his own background in chicago working in catholic churches in his community organizing was to his formation. >> yes. both people with have had expense one-on-one with the poor which the pope appreciates and they have a warm experience i know when obama was at vatican and they will talk about the family, how is the family, he is interested when he meets people to talk about the kids and how it is going. it is personal interaction. >> matthew talked about this being an unexpected choice. he expected to be retired now. >> he had already picked place

of retirement in argentina and no one expected he could get many votes and everyone was surprised not only at the choice but also what he has been doing since then. >> this group of performers is the spirit of 76 using instruments and playing music instruments and playing music from the time of the revolution. away from europe kneeling the monarch of europe should have nothing to do with this country. >> and when massachusetts was established they wanted to get away from the antichrist, or the pope. >> and now the drum corps moves away the pope will take his seat and the president will greet

and the president will greet him. >> welcome, remarks, now, from the president. >> good morning. >> welcome, remarks, now, from

has made. holy father, on behalf of michelle and myself, welcome to

the white house. [ applause ] i should slain that our backyard is not typically this crowded but the size and the expert of -- spirit is an expression of the deep devotion of some 70 million american catholics. [ applause ] it reflects the way your message of love and hope has inspired so many people across our nation and around the world. on behalf of the american people it is my from honor and privilege to welcome you to the united states of america. united states of america. [ applause ] today we mark many

americas. this is your first visit to the united states. and you are also the first pontiff to share a account. holy father your visit allows us holy father your visit allows us in some small way to resip reveals how much all members from all backgrounds and faith value the role the catholic

church plays in strengthening america. for my time working in poor neighborhoods with the catholic church in chicago to my travels as president i have seen firsthand how every single day catholic communities, priests, nuns all are feeding the hungry, healing the sick and sheltering homeless and educating our children and fortifying the faith that sustained so many. what is true in america is true around the world. the busy streets of argentina to the remote villains in kenya, catholic organizations serve the

poor, minister to prisoners, build schools, build homes, operate orphanages and hospitals. just as the church has stood with those struggling to break the changes of poverty, the church has given voice and hope to those speaking to break the chains of oppression. i believe the excitement around your visit must be attributed not only to your role as pope but your unique qualities as person. in your humility, embrace simplicity, in the gentleness of your words and the generosity of

your spirit, we see a living example of jesus' teaching, a leading whose morale authority comes not just from words but through deeds. you call on all of us, catholic, and non-catholic alike, to put the least of these at the center of our concerns. you remind us that in the eyes of god our measure as individuals and our measure as a society is not determined by wealth or power or station or celebrity but by how well we lit up the poor and to stand up for justice and

against inequality and to were sure that every human being is able to live in dignity because we are all made in the image of god. you remind us that the lord's most powerful message is mercy. that means welcoming the stranger with empathy and a truly open heart from the refugee would flees war torn lands to the immigrant would leaves home in search of a better life. it means showing compassion and love for the marginalized and the outcasts, to those who have suffered and those who have

caused suffering and seek redemption. you remind us of the cost of war, particularly on the powerless and defend misand urge us toward the imperative of peace. holy father, we are grateful for your invaluable support of our new going with the cuban people which holds out the better relations between our countries, greater cooperation across our hemisphere and a better life for the cuban people. we thank you for your passionate voice against the deadly conflicts that ravage the lives of so many men, women and children. and your calm for nations to resist the sirens of war and resolve disputes through

diplomacy. you remind us that people are only truly frein we they can practice their faith in the united states we cherish religious liberty. it was the basis for so much of what brought us together. here in the united states we cherish our religious liberty but around the world at this very moment children of good including christians are targeted and kill because of their faith. movieers are prevented from gathering at places of worship and the faithful are imprisoned and churches are destroyed. we stand with you in defense of religious freedom and enter

faith dialogue knowing people must be able to live out their faith free from fear and free faith free from fear and free from intimidation. have a sacred obligation to protect our planet, god's magnificent gift to we support your call to all world leaders to support the communities most vulnerable to changing climates. to come together to preserve our precious world for future generations. your holiness in your words and deeds, you said a -- set

profound moral examples and in our reminders of obligations to god and each other we shake us out are complacency. we all may experience discomfort and contemplate the distance between how we lead our lives and what we know to be true, to be right but i believe such discomfort is a blessing because it points to something better. you shake our conscience from slumber. you call on us to regis in -- rejoice in good news and give us confidence to come together to pursue a world more loving and more just and more free. at home and around the world may our generation heed your call to never remain on the sidelines of

this parch of living home, for that from different of hope we thank you and welcome you with joy and gratitude from the joy and gratitude from the united states of america. >> president obama honoring the pope's brother found moral example good morning!

mr. president, i am deeply grateful for your welcome in the name of all americans. as the son of an family i am happy to be a guest family i am happy to be a guest in this country. encounter and dialogue which i hope to listen to and share many of the hopes and dreams of the american people. during my visit i will have the

honor of addressing congress where i hope as a brother of this country to offer words of encouragement to those who guide the nation's political i will also travel to philadelphia and meet families to celebrate and support the institutions at this critical institutions at this critical moment in the history of our mr. president, together with our

fellow citizens, committed to building a society which is truly tolerant and inclusive, safeguarding the rights of individuals and communities and to rejecting communities and to rejecting every form of injustice an with countless other people of if will, they are, with countless other people of respect their deepest concerns and the rights of religious

liberty. let freedom remain one of america's most precious possessions. as my brother, the united states shall have reminded, all be vigilant precisely as good citizens to protect and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it. mr. president, i am finding it encouraging you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution.

accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem we can no longer be left to our future generations. when it comes to the care of our common home we are living at a critical moment of history, we still have time to make the changes needs to bring about a sustainable and integral because we know things can

change. such change demands on a series of responses and recommendations not only of the kind of the world we may be leaving to our children but, also to the millions of people living under our system w are overlooked, our common has been part of the roads which carried to heaven and, which, today, powerful strikes to have our homes and cities and societies and to use

from reverend martin luther king we can say we have defaulted a promissory note. a promissory note. now is the time to honor creator does not abandon he never forsakes his loving plan.ow by faith that the humanity has the ability to build our common home as christians inspired by this sanctity we wish to commit

ourselves to the conscious and responsie care of our common home. mr. president, therefore, the effort was made recently to mend broken relations and to open new doors to cooperation in our human family representing positive steps long the path of reconciliation, justice and freedom. i would like all men and women of good will in this great nation to part the efforts of the international community to protect the vulnerable in our

world and to assimilate an inclusive model of development everywhere may know the blessings of peace and prosperity which god wants for all of his children. mr. president, again, i thank you for your welcome and i look forward to these days in your country. god bless america.

>> we will now hear from gospel choir of washington, dc, singing the hymn "total praise." >> the choir from washington, dc from st. augustine.

[ inaudible lyrics] ♪ your needs give me ♪ in time of need

♪ of my strength ♪ you are the strength ♪ of my life i ♪ amen ♪ amen ♪ amen

[ applause ] >> the voice of the st. augustine choir of washington, d.c. ringing across the south lawn of the white house for pope francis and president obama. known as the mother church of african-american catholics and played for popes before, for john paul at the vatican and also pope benedict here at the white house. >> attention. >> mr. president, this concludes the ceremony. >> official welcoming ceremony

over. president obama will escort the pope back into the white house where the pope will sign the official guest book and in just a few minutes we expect the president and the pope will appear on that balcony on the south portico as they walk inside, i want to go to terry moran there at the white house. how did it feel? >> reporter: what a morning, george. i mean, it's just incredible. all the grandeur, all the pageantry of a state visit to the united states for this man who has come to this country and countries around the world reaching out with that trademark simplicity of his and the crowd here, 11,000 tickets, i look out among them, sailors and nuns and parents with their kids and an incredibly diverse crowd, someone with a notre dame sweatshirt, go, irish, i guess, one of enormous pride, as well, pride in their catholicism and

americanism and president obama greeting this man who is on the same wavelength on so many issues and you can tell in their body language and how they address each other they speak of the same language of politics socially, of social action in the world from different motivations, this is a very important relationship in the world right now and the people here amid all this grandeur certainly felt that. >> and father martin, you saw the pope, echoes of when he was first named pope, he greeted the crowd before he greeted the president, good morning to the crowd and then spoke to the crowd as the son of an immigrant. >> which was beautiful, i mean right from the get-go he's talking about one of his themes which is refugees and my graig and also went very quickly into this idea of climate change and care for the poor so within a few paragraphs in a sense he lays out his program for the united states. >> i was struck, though, matthew by how carefully balanced this speech was from the pope. first of all, he delivered it very carefully, as we. you saw him working through the

english but he made a point of talking as an immigrant and then talking about the issue of religious liberty which republicans here in the united states have been emphasizing for recent weeks and then going on to climate change which has been a theme of president obama and democrats. >> he was very method challenge as you say not only in his manner which i thought created more power to the speech. i know it's because he learned english late in life but created more power and touched all the bases and touched the base of life and family which he said he's going to speak about in philadelphia, so he did all of the sort of political bases that a politician does well. >> and quoted martin luther king and, you know, that has become a founder to quote in this situation but quoted him saying we've defaulted on the promissory note of which, of course, king was saying in terms of race he's saying in terms of protecting our earth. >> we are coming up on 10:00 a.m. here on the west coast. i mean on the east coast, 7:00 a.m. on the west coast, of course, we are coveringis

visit of pope francis to the united states. he and the president have just fini finished speaking at the white house. and we are going to continue and stay with them as they prepare to come out on the balcony. right now we do want to welcome our west coast viewers for "good morning america" as we see president obama and pope francis right there on the balcony. waving to a crowd of several thousand there on the south lawn of the white house after both president obama and the pope greet the crowd offer their welcoming remarks. president obama pointing out how far this crowd gathered all the way out to the washington monument and they have been gathering for hours, of course, later right by that monument on the ellipse, the president will be -- the president will be -- the pope will be on the parade route later in his popemobile but he's now finished his first station of his visit to the un