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. good afternoon. i'm kate snow. coming to you live from a rooftop across from st. patrick's cathedral. take a listen to the bells tolling 3:00. we are atop rockefeller center here in new york city where pope francis will be about 3 1/2 hours from now. right now we're waiting for pope francis to depart the nunciature where he's been staying during his visit to washington, d.c. you can see a live picture there of that scene. the pope will to begin the next leg of his journey flying from washington an hour to new york city. it has already been a historic day unprecedent ed address to congress, a chamber known for partisan battles, the pope challenged lawmakers and this nation to find unity on thorny issues like immigration, on climate change.

after an address inside the house chamber a memorable moment as he appeared on the speaker's balcony in front of thousands gathered on the national mall. there he asked catholics to pray for him. and he asked nonbelievers to keep him in their thoughts as well. we'll have much more of that historic trip to capitol hill and much more on that in just a moment. but any moment now, as we just said, we're awaiting pope francis coming out of the papal nunciature in washington. then he'll be en route to joint base andrews where an american airlines jet is waiting for him. and joining us from the nunciature now awaiting the departure, tom costello. tom, there's still a crowd outside. >> a little bit of a crowd here, kate. you know, he's been on the ground for about 48 hours here in washington, d.c., now. we're told that, no, he will not have to brave the tsa lines and the indignities at reagan national airport. he's going straight to joint base andrews here where american

airlines will ferry him from joint base andrews up to new york city. i think it's fair to say behind me as you look at essentially what is the vatican's embassy here in washington, d.c., and you see the motorcade has now moved into position. they're awaiting the pope's -- they're awaiting the pope, i should say, to emerge from this particular embassy. i think what's important to say here is that we have seen literally tens of thousands of people here in the washington, d.c., area affected by and witnessing pope francis. but beyond that, hundreds of thousands of people, probably millions across the country have watched the coverage of this pope and his address to congress and then around the world. we have received e-mails and tweets from people all around the world excited about pope francis and his message and believing that he is in some way a bridge between different peoples, different cultures and different religious. and a lot of excitement generated by his trip here to washington, d.c. and now, of course, the next part of that,

moving on to new york. kate? >> tom costello, stay with us there. i want to go to luke russert. he's at joint base andrews. that's where the pope will be headed next. luke, i know it won't be as big a ceremony as his arrival in washington with the president, but there will be a vip departure ceremony, right? >> yes, that's correct, kate. it won't be as when the president and vice president greeted the pope a few days ago, but secretary of state john kerry will be here on hand to see off the pope. he'll be cheered on by a few hundred catholic school kids who are lining up right behind me. they've already been doing positive spirit chants. as well as military families here as well as some nuns and bishops. i spoke to one of the military families, a wife who said she was so thankful to be here. her husband was actually deployed right now. it meant the world to her. the pope will be boarding the american airlines jet behind me, arranged by the bishops.

it's called shepherd one. that's what american airlines has named the flight. it will be stocked with security personnel, people from the vatican as well as other officials who have been traveling with the pope. we expect him to arrive here between 3:45 and 4:00. he'll more likely than not go and greet the children somewhere along the rope line as opposed to the other site that we've seen the pope, this one is pretty compact. a high density area. he'll have an ability to make a connection with people firsthand. he'll fly from here to new york, take about an hour. then he lands at jfk. all the traffic closures that we've grown accustomed to in washington over the last few days and knowingly and excitingly will then become the burden of new yorkers like yourself, kate. >> it's remarkable, luke, to see that 777 american airlines behind you. it's not a fancy plane. it's nothing special. just a regular old commercial jet. nbc's luke russert at joint base andrews, thank you. we'll come back to you as soon as we see the pope there.

as we mentioned, it was a historic day at the united states capitol, the first pope ever to address a joint meeting of congress. a massive crowd started gathering before dawn to watch the pope's speech on huge projection screens outside the capitol. and pope francis arrived shortly after 9:00 a.m. this morning where he was greeted by house speaker john boehner. after a brief visit, the pope was escorted into the house chamber by a bipartisan group of lawmakers that included house majority leader kevin mccarthy. house minority leader nancy pelosi. and the scene was really similar to a state of the union address with the president's cabinet being there, with the supreme court in attendance, pope francis giving a wide ranging 50-minute speech touching on the economy, climate change, income unequalty, the refugee crisis, the death penalty, the need to protect the family and even the arms trade. the pope also had some words of advice for a divided united states congress.

>> politics is an expression of our compelling need to live as one in order to build as one the greatest common good. that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share in justice and pea peace, its words, its social life. i do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves, but i encourage you in this effort. >> immediately following the pope's speech to congress, he greeted the crowd waiting outside from the capitol

balcony, that's the speaker's balcony. it was quite a scene. i want to bring in chuck todd, nbc news political director, moderator of "meet the press county "and soon to be host of the upcoming mpt daily here on msnbc. and with me chris matthews, host of "hardball." you were both there. chris, let me start with you. i know i could hear emotion in your voice this morning as we covered it live. your thoughts on what it meant today? >> well, i mean, he is the leader of about 130 some members of the congress church leader, my church as well. the largest church in the world. this is the first time this has ever happened, maybe the last time for a long time. and i think that he came to this country at a time where we're rather brittle. we all know the politics we've been covering, every one of us. it's been sort of angry, sort of chaotic even. there's no sense of tranquility to it or love. it's very angry. the people are angry. and it's being exploited, of

course, as politicians tend to do. so it's not a happy time in american politics. almost a disjointed time. it doesn't seem to be leading to a selection of a president in any coherent way. so then comes the pope who spoke in eternal values. he talked about community and sharing a common home on this planet and the need to find some sort of bridging of the economic gap between the rich and the poor. and, of course, he talked about the issues that he does care about, abortion rights, the end to capital punishment, illegal immigration. these are issues that are right hot button issue s but he did so i think in a way that no one took affront. and i think a lot of people found things they liked in what he said, some they pulled back from. but this is the key thinking. when they went back to their room, when they had their usual political huddles -- and this is the different part -- i don't think anyone spoke against what the pope said. and that's unusual. >> chuck, we had talked a couple of days ago whether this might

be a moment at least for a brief period where we could get away from sort of that negative tone that chris has been talking about. do you think we're there? do you think it had any impact? >> i don't know. i'm probably a pessimist and it probably won't have the impact that i hope it does, but boy, his words felt like a political balm of sorts. when he was sitting there and i thought he was so clev are in using the greatness of america's democracy as a way to inspire those that are now the ones in charge of america's democracy who he was speaking to in that room. and he was using the stories of great americans to try to inspire, okay, guys and gals, this is your time to try to find some common ground. it was remarkable how often he said the words "common good" or "pragmatism." he never used the word "co "compromi "compromise" but this is what a good politician does, this is

what democracy is about. so what i'm curious about, kate, and i've said this before and aapologize for bringing it up before, but we're six days away from total political calamity taking place on capitol hill with the government shutdown which, in the grand scheme of things, the pope is basically saying -- he doesn't say it but he might as well be saying it sounds a little silly that you guys are having these fights over here when you need to find the common good to deal with a little bit. and are they maybe just maybe this positive attitude lasts a week, well, if it lasts a week maybe we do get through this without a shutdown. >> chris, we are in the middle of presidential politics here. has anyone picked up on using what the pope said today on the campaign trail? >> well, bernie sanders was quick to say that the pope's salute to dorothy day was to a fellow socialist. he was the fastest i think on the draw. the pope had no problem with a

socialist. in fact, saluted dorothy day as a catholic worker as one of the role models in this kind of spiritual mt. rushmore with lincoln, king and thomas merton. bernie knew what he was doing, he was quick on the draw. >> it was bound to happen. >> kate and chris, i actually thought, look, people need to learn a little bit, i'm sure. i'm sure google searches are through the roof on dorothy day and thomas merton. but if you're trying to understand the pope's politics and perhaps the politics he grew up admiring when he was a young man in south america, i think he told us a lot by the people he chose to highlight. a and, anyway, i think it said a lot about where his heart is and where he wants to push things. very much about the social justice movement. both in terms of dorothy day and thomas merton. >> let me remind our viewers that we are waiting for the pope to emerge from the papal nunciature in washington, d.c. that's the crowd you're looking

at on the left side of the screen. he'll make his way to andrews air base where he'll then fly to new york. so let me bring in new york congressman joe crowley. congressman, we've known each other a while. you were there today with the pope. you were one of a group of bipartisan lawmakers that escorted pope francis into the house chamber. as a catholic man yourself, that had to have been one of the moments of your life. >> oh, kate, you just said it all. one of the really most memorable moments of my life. to be in the presence of this pope and what he stands for, what he delivered today to congress, what he's been saying consistently all along, i'll never -- i don't think i'll ever have this kind of experience again. i think i share that, as chris said, there are over 130 members of the house who are of the catholic faith, we all share that, democrat and republican. >> did you have a chance to speak with him at all? >> as he walked by, i said papa and he looked to me.

we didn't shake hands. we didn't have to. i felt his presence and it was just amazing what he spoke about and i think chris again alluded that chuck of the four people he chose to highlight, abraham lincoln. i'm a lincoln-phile, i love everything about abraham lincoln. martin luther king, adore. two more obscure people, dorothy day and thomas merton, two people that i follow and have read about. both touched me personally. as chris said or as chuck sairi. >> the papal nunciature awaiting the pope's exit from that building. congressman, i wonder about that speech. as you sat in the chamber and listened to those words, were there any particular passages that you thing maybe we can as a body take action? >> well, i think what he said,

if you give security, you'll be given security. if you give life, you'll be given life. if you give opportunity, you'll be given opportunity. i think that was a message not just to congress but to america. when he talked about immigration that he himself is the child of immigrants. that we all, every member of the house more than likely is the product of immigration. we shouldn't be taking up the ladder as we go forward. and i think that was the message he gave. my hope is that we can find some common ground and move forward and not look at immigrants as a number. don't talk about a number. but talk about their faces, talk about them as individuals and human beings. that's the strong message that the pope put across. i hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle were listening to that. and maybe they can find dmon ground. >> congress map joe crowley who was there with the pope at the

capitol, thank you for joining us. i also want to thank chuck todd and chris matthews. be sure to catch chuck todd on "meet the press" he'll be interviewing hillary clinton. and chris matthews on "hardball" at 7:00 p.m. weekdays. we saw some children come outside. what are you seeing there, tom? >> he's had children prepared to greet him every time he comes out of the nunciature, and so now we have crowds yet again. we have cheering yet again. and they have a very good view of who is standing a tt doorwayp about you might believe that the pope is getting close. i would say i think there's this other effect he has on people. and that is when you start -- when you see him and hear his message, i think it causes many people -- as you see him come out, it causes many people to really ask themselves what kind of a life am i living. am i living according to the ten commandments? if i'm a christian, am i living according to the christian

ethics? i think he has that effect on people just like when you sit at a funeral, you ask what kind of life am i living? i think he's having that kind of effect he's having on everyone he sees around here, everyone he sees in washington and indeed the people he sees on television, the people see him on television. i think it's a very profound impact. >> these folks are getting a really up close and personal view. i don't know if you can see it from your vantage point, tom, but the pope is outside the nunciature and he's greeting the crowd as he's done every day in the last couple of days. lots of cell phones being held out to take selfies with the pope. lots of very happy people who have been waiting here for hours for this chance. >> there are groups of school children. >> he loves this. right. tell us about that. who is there. >> he loves this. i got to tell you. i think this is really the essence of who this pope is. he had the opportunity to have lunch with the elected officials in congress. he decided no, he'd rather spend

it with catholic charities. he prefers to spend time with the people who are the closest to the ground, if you will. you know, part of the message yesterday when he met with the little sisters of the poor may have been a political message, but the little sisters of the poor speak to his heart. that is a group of nuns who have taken a vow of poverty and who serve the poor in this country. i got to tell you, my father, this has been his favorite charity for decades. but this is a group that is very, very much about serving the poor and it is very much the mission that you know pope francis has dedicated himself to. so the opportunity to talk to real people, to touch real people, to take the selfies and to talk about immigration. i recall yesterday when he grabbed that little girl, that 5-year-old sophie cruz, the little girl from los angeles, and brought her up and gave her a hug and a kiss, he did not know probably at that point that she is from a family of undocumented workers, but he

could have probably picked no better representative to speak to an issue that he cares deeply about. >> tom, i don't know if you can see this, but i think the pope just looked down at t a watch. he tapped his wrist as if wondering whether he had enough time to keep walking and talking to people and meeting people. and he's still there. it was a funny moment. looked like he was thinking about leaving. now he's still -- he's sticking around. and that has to be so welcome for all these people who have been waiting down at the end of the line. tom, did they have to go through security to get in this area? or is this just a crowd that sort of organically gathered? >> well, no, this is a hand selected group that you see right there talking to the pope. yes, they did have to go through a very intense security screening. we're on the other side of that security screening. there's a crowd of people where we are, too. probably, i would say, maybe three, four dozen people on this side of the security barrier. we had as many as several hundred people here over the last few days but now it looks

like the motorcade is preparing very slowly to get back into position and start moving again. again, the pope and his fiat 500 sending that message of humility and sending that message of really a very humble man who has talked at great lengths about what believes are the excesses of capitalism. as we've said on the air before his security detail in the suvs dwarfs the pope in his small little fiat. but what kind of message does that in and of itself say? >> as you've been talking, tom, we're watching him walk down the line. it's almost all children. there was a moment where he cupped the chin of a child and patted her on the head. it's so tender. you really get the sense that he's loving this. he's got a huge grin on his face. he has time, right, before he has to board the plane. remind us what happens next, tom? he goes to andrews joint base -- joint base andrews. >> that's right. so he's got a 45-minute to an

hour drive down to joint base andrews. of course it's a motorcade escort through the city so he'll make great time getting there as you would expect. the secret service and the d.c. police department are going to be very much ensuring that he gets there quickly. then he joins -- he gets on, rather, that plane, shepherd one, which carries him to jfk up in new york. keep in mind, if the pope is ten minutes late, who is going to complain, right? he's pretty much on his own agenda. >> he makes his own schedule. >> as he would like. that's right. >> and tom, you typically cover -- some days you cover aviation for us. i'm curious about the airplane. he's getting on an american airlines 777, right? it's not a special plane. again, just like the fiat, a modest, regular old commercial plane. >> well, the 777, for american airlines, is the crown of their fleet. they brought in the newest,

cleanest, most modern and up to date 777 they have available to them for this very special job. and as you know, when the pope travels from country to country, it is tradition that he uses one of that country's airliners to then ferry him to the next stop. so this makes perfect sense that american will now take him up to jfk. >> i guess i just meant it's not air force one. it's not retrofitted with bedrooms and beds on board, right? >> it's not. but i will say this. hess will be afforded, in terms of an air force security protocol, if you will, the air space between washington and new york, he will get the same kind of priority as would air force one. this is a high priority dignitary. he's going to be, i would assume he'll get fighter jet escort up to new york city and air space will be cleared as he leaves washington, d.c., and as he approaches new york. this is standard protocol whenever the president travels you can expect the exact same

protocol for shepherd one and the pope. >> tom, thank you so much. we're going to keep an eye on that motorcade and keep following that. and obviously we'll pick him up again at joint base andrews when we see hill arrive there. if it's anything like the previous motorcades we won't see him between now and then, but we'll pick him up again when he gets there. tom costello, thank you very much. there is another breaking news story we're following out of seattle, washington, where at least two people were killed today in a tour bus collision. for more, let's go to nbc's craig melvin who is following developments in that story. >> kate, this happened about an hour ago, again, as you mentioned there, seattle, washington, the aurora bridge. all lanes of that bridge are shut down right now. a news conference wrapped up just a short time ago where we got an update on what happened there. let's take a listen. >> we transported nine and nine

are having critical injuries. they were transported by medic unit to area hospitals. then we have 12 luckily with nonlife threattoning injuries and they also were transport pd we looked at approximately 50 patients that we evaluated and these are the final numbers that we have. >> so at this point, two dead, nine injured critically and a number of folks have been transferred to a local hospital. and you can see there firefighters still on the scene on that bridge looking at people trying to make sure they've gotten everyone off the bus. but again this is a tour bus that collided with one of those amphibious duck tour vehicles. it happened 11:15 local time, so around 2:15 on the east coast here. again, this is the aurora avenue bridge. we were told by a local reporter in the last hour, this is one of the busiest bridges in seattle where that collision happened. so we continue to watch this breaking news. two people dead, nine injured

critically. we're going to continue to keep our eyes on this, kate, and if there's any new information we'll pass it along to you. >> all right. craig melvin, thank you. a devastating scene to look at there. we'll keep you updated on that. back to our other story of the day. the pope. one of the most touching moments of the pope's visit came when he met with 5-year-old sophie cruz. she's the daughter of two undocumented immigrants who snuck through the barricades yesterday and received a personal blessing from the pope. cruz handed the pontiff a hand drawn picture showing the pontiff holding hands with children. my heart is very sad. i would like you to speak to the president and congress in legalizing my parents because every day i'm scared that one day they'll take them away from me. today sophie and her father were in the gallery in the house gallery for the pope's address to congress after they received

tickets from democratic congressman tony cardenas of california who joins me now from capitol hill. congressman, thanks for being with us. >> you're welcome. >> how did you hear about their story or did you know the story already? and why did you want them to be there with you today? >> i knew that they were immigrants. it was an immigrant family. but i did not know that sophie planned on meeting the pope personally. and anybody who she probably would have told that to, she probably would have patted her on the head and said, sure, little kid. she showed us what innocence and determin determination and purpose can do for you. i'm proud of her and she's a very brave little girl. >> how did she respond to being there today and watching the pope and her family as well? >> yeah, well, she saw the pope and she said that, you know -- she basically told me that she loved seeing him and she was just kind of overwhelmed with the fact that she actually got a

hug and a kiss from the pope. i got a chance the talk to her a little bit in spanish and in english and with her father. and the bottom line is, she was determined to let the pope know that she doesn't want her family to be torn apart because her parents are undocumented, yet she's born here in the united states, she's an american citizen. and i told her, mija, i'm just like you, i'm an american citizen and my parents are immigrants. so i know how you feel. so i'm just hoping that the pope's words will touch enough congressional members for us to have the debate and the vote on comprehensive immigration reform. >> well, as you heard today, congressman, the pope didn't shy away from talking about immigration. he talked about how most people in this nation, in america, in the americas as a whole, came from somewhere else. he's clearly on your side of things wanting reform. but republicans in the chamber today don't agree with that position. so is there really a way

forward? >> well, i think it's unfortunate that people are not listening to what the pope is saying. the pope to me, when he was in congress, he was speaking as the head of state. of course he's a religious leader. but he was to me speaking some simple truths about what america stands for. and he basically complimented america about our spirit and the ideals of freedom and how we care for other places in the world so much and that we are so powerful and so giving, yet at the same time he pointed out the truth that we have a lot of work to do to make sure that we get our immigration right and make sure that we don't continue to allow 11 million people to suffer. he said people come here to work to the most prosperous place on the planet. to me those are just simple truth. hopefully my colleagues will turn a new leaf and realize there's nothing wrong with having an honest debate. there's nothing wrong with admits that the united states of america' economy wouldn't be where it was today if it wasn't for immigrants.

if most immigrants, whether you've been here for six generation ors you're here for the first generation, we are an eclectic beautiful place and when these people come to work really hard in the united states, like sophie's parents, they make this country better. i think that's what the pope was saying. hopefully people are listening. >> anthony cardenas from california. >> my pleasure. take care. >> we're looking at a shot on the left of the airplane ready to receive pope francis at joint base andrews. let's go back to luke russert who is there on the ground. tell me about the crowd. tell me what you're seeing. >> hey there, kate, since i last spoke to you, the crowd has grown as has the excitement. we're starting to see the official move to allow the crowd move up to the fence. so we see them over here at the fence. we also see the plane behind me. that's a boeing 777 chaerted by the u.s. conference of catholic

bishops from the pope's travel from d.c. to new york. i started a dialogue with american airlines company. this is the seventh time they've chartered a pope. there is precedence for this. as you pointed out, it is certainly not a private jet we're accustomed to. a common commercial airliner. but as tom costello mentioned they'll make it quite nice for pope francis. he'll have a clean plane and he'll also have a secure air space. the press just boarded through the back door. they're along for this ride. we expect secretary of state john kerry to arrive shortly as well as the secretary of air force. they'll be the formal dignitaries seeing pope francis off. it's not quite the scene that was when he arrived when president obama and vice president biden, but still fairly important nonetheless. the red carpet is out behind me. you can see the vatican flag with the u.s. flag right there out in front of the cockpit window. we expect this to all get going probably about 4:00. the pope likes to be on pope

time saying hi to all the people outside the vatican embassy where he was staying. the roads are blocked off for him. that fiat that he's been showcasing around d.c. that people are enamored with, i think their sale numbers will go up. he'll be here shortly to an aco adoring crowd. the density of this area much smaller. people will get a real close look at him. they're really excited about that. >> we're looking at live pictures the of the motorcade with that little fiat that we've gotten used to ol rolling toward andrews right now. stay with us. we'll keep an eye on that. but i want to welcome with me here on the rooftop here at 30 rock, rockefeller center, is the former governor of new york state. republican candidate for president george pataki, thanks for being with us. >> it's great being here. you look behind us and the newly renovated st. patrick's. it wasn't planned this way but just in time for the pope's arrival. >> a splendid day in new york

city. the pope just about to get on the plane and fly here for just the second leg of his historic visit to the united states. you've been through, as governor, a lot of events of this scale. maybe nothing quite this scale, though. how do you sense we're prepared here in new york? >> new york's ready. new york has tremendous experience. i remember when pope john paul ii came, there were massive throngs. so well organized abo. the barricades are up, not sop to protect the pope but to allow the throngs of people. the city is electric waiting for his arrival. >> i suppose you watched the address at congress. >> appealing to the better angels of our nature. this is what has been missing from so much of the dialogue and what we have to recapture. >> what do you think of the fact that this country has been so immersed in a political campaign and a bitter one at that.

just today there were more words exchanged. donald trump calling marco rubio names. does this moment that we're in with the pope maybe change that a bit? make your fellow republicans -- >> not just the republicans. >> no. >> it's both sides. we are divided not because the people are divided but because the politicians don't talk together, don't try to find common ground. it's wa we have to do. we're all americans, we're all human beings, we have a common future. we have to work together, put aside the narrow partisanship and solve problems. hopefully the pope will be a catalyst for that sense of we're all in this together. >> you are a catholic yourself. >> i am. >> so you'll be here at st. patrick's. >> i will be greeting the pope tomorrow when he goes to ground zero to visit the memorial. and of course, that will be extremely emotional for all of us. >> i can't imagine. i can't imagine. and your thoughts on what you might say to him if you have a chance? >> just thank you, you know, for

being such a positive influence, for reminding us that we're all god's children and we all have this common destiny and common future, and having this positive vision of what we as god's children can accomplish when we work together. i've always believed that. i hope the pope is inspiring others to see that future. >> governor george pataki, former governor of new york state, thank you so much for being with us here. >> thank you, kate. >> appreciate it. we're awaiting the arrival of pope francis at joint base andrews in washington, d.c., where he'll fly to new york. taking a look now at the delegation, it looks like that's senator john kerry walking up toward the area where the pope will arrive. and they'll be sending off the pope. it's not quite as big a ceremony as when he landed at andrews the other day and the president and the first lady and the vice president were there, but nonetheless an official delegation. we'll take a short break. i am totally blind.

and sometimes i struggle to sleep at night, and stay awake during the day. this is called non-24. learn more by calling 844-824-2424. or visit your24info.com. thlook what i got.p. oh my froot loops! [sniffs]

let's do this? get up! get up! get up! get up! loop me! bring back the awesome yeah! yeah! yeah! with the great taste of kellogg's froot loops. follow your nose! welcome back to msnbc live. i'm kate snow. we're on top of a rooftop here at rockefeller center overlooking beautiful st. patrick's cathedral behind me. on the other than side of your screen is the scene at joint base andrews where the pope should be arriving any minute now. that's in washington just outside of washington, d.c. you see there secretary of state john kerry, an american airlines plane, a 777 known as shepherd one, awaiting the arrival of pope francis. the flight from there to here will be just about an hour, and on the ground there my colleague luke russert waiting with the

crowd. luke, any guidance on when we'll see that motorcade? >> well, we were told when secretary kerry was brought out from the holding room that pope francis then should be close probably within 10 to 15 minutes is what we believe. secretary kerry came out here and he was greeted with school children shouting, we love pope francis. how been? he nodded and clapped and said of course i love pope francis as much as you do. secretary kerry was the only person that pope francis actually shook his hand as he was coming down the aisle today in the chamber of the house. they have a long relationship dating back to the iran deal as well as the peace talks in colombia. as far as what you are seeing behind me, you obviously have the american airlines flight, a 777 chartered by the u.s. conference of bishops for this purpose called shepherd one. there are two rows of bleachers on either side of me. one is filled up with catholic school children who are so excited to be here. many got the day off, which made

them even more excited. the other is filled up with religious clergy and military families. i've been speaking to one of them whose husband has been deployed. the woman was ecstatic. so happy to be part of what she called a historic moment. when the pope arrives here he'll get out of his fiat, exchange pleasantries with john kerry and other dignitaries. bishops who are seeing him off as well. there are ones usually in line to become cardinal at some point. he'll have the full military escort up to the steps where he'll go up and say good-bye to washington, d.c., the first city he visited in his first time in the united states. i think it's fair to say he completely took the city by storm. more positive energy flowing through washington. i'm a lifelong resident. certainly more than any time i can remember. they were more than happy to deal with the road closures because they feel like it's such a historic and important moment. >> luke, thank you. i want to go to another reporter who is actually inside the plane

that we just saw behind luke. elizabeth diaz is a correspondent for "time" magazine covering religion and politics. i i think you're there, elizabeth. are you on the plane? >> i am. i'm on the back of the plane. we're waiting for pope francis, then we're off. the second city of this three-city u.s. tour. based on what happened in washington in the last, goodness, just barely more than 24 hours, new york and then philadelphia certainly guaranteed to be jam packed as well. >> what's happening inside the plane? you're on board already because you're in the press group. maybe you can explain that to our viewers. >> sure. >> they let the press on early, right, so the pope can leave as soon as he arrives. >> right. so the press boards in advance of the holy father. we've already done our security sweep which was much more intense than the security we did when we were in cuba here at andrews air force base. then we all load through the back and wait for pope francis to get on with the papal

entourage in the front. and so we're all -- yes. >> i know sometimes, elizabeth, they will -- the pope will come toward the back of the plane and talk to reporters, is that generally only on overseas legs, or is it possible that he comes and chats with you on this flight? >> we only expect pope francis to come back after he's left the country, so he came back after we departed cuba. but this leg, this is purely to get us to new york. he's got an event basically right when we land, so he's got to get to that. pope francis always surprises, but we're not expecting to see him on this flight. we're all very much looking forward to once he leaves philadelphia and heads back to rome that they'll get to ask him questions about his trip to the u.s. >> that looks like a very nice american airlines jet. can you give us a sense of what

it is like inside? is there a first class cabin and you guys are in the back. >> it's basically a normal jet. we're in the back. it looks like about three cabins. the pope usually at the very front, then vatican security, then other personnel that he travels with in the middle, then we're in the back. there's about 70 of us total including the vatican press. and just, you know, it's pretty much actually like any other flight. there aren't any special rooms in here or anything like that. we've got a nice menu that i haven't even looked at. sort of a welcome packet from american airlines. and each airline that gets to host the pope on their leg of the trip is quite an honor for them. so they really try to show up the service alitalia the same thing when we went to cuba and now to the u.s. it's american.

>> as you've been covering this trip, tell me your impressions so far. as a journalist on every leg of this, we're just a third of the way through, right? washington, still new york and more events today and philadelphia. what are your impressions so far? >> right, well, you're only a third of the way through. we're just at the halfway point because cuba -- it's hard to thing of this trip really without cuba. the holy father was very intentional about arriving in the united states from cuba. so he's thinking about this in a comprehensive way. i was in the gallery at congress today and basically with him at every event so far. fascinating to watch him encounter the people of the united states for the first time in his life. as you watch them meet him, you know, we've seen this scene around the world. you know, there were 3 million people on the beaches to meet him in rio and 6 million in other places. so the crowds that have turned out here are pretty big. and they're -- yeah, i'm

thinking people are really talking about what he has to say, especially after this morning. >> right. elizabe elizabeth elizabeth dias with "time." we'll await for the pope to arrive with his motorcade. i lost my sight in afghanistan, but it doesn't hold me back. i go through periods where it's hard to sleep at night, and stay awake during the day. non-24 is a circadian rhythm disorder that affects up to 70% of people who are totally blind. talk to your doctor about your symptoms and learn more by calling 844-844-2424. or visit my24info.com.

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welcome back to msnbc live as we take a look at live pictures there from joint base andrew. you're looking at secretary of state john kerry and others awaiting for pope francis to arrive where he'll board an american airlines plane for the short one-hour flight from washington, d.c., to new york city and jfk, john f. kennedy

airport here outside new york. as we await that, we've been reflecting on a historic day in washington. it's been quite a day so far th address to congress by a sitting pope. i want to bring in congressman mark sanford, who is a republican from south carolina. he was there today, and you were there, you also had invited guests, including ben carson, who is running for president now as a republican. congressman, thanks for being with us. >> my pleasure. >> tell me about inviting ben carson to be there today and experiencing it with him. >> you know, i just thought it would be interesting. i think that what stands out about pope francis, what we've all been impressed by, his level of humility. when he was archbishop in bain nose aries he would literally talk public transportation to a sim spot where he cooked his own meals to work and that could give other stories that stand out not only for people in argentina but people across the

world in which for the ways in which he's lived a sort of walk of humility. and i thought that, you know, if there's one thing that stands out for me about the carson campaign -- i've not endorsed him, i'm not a supporter -- but one thing that stand out is a walk of humility and i i thought two would have a lot in common. >> he's been under criticism of his comments last sunday on "meet the press." did you hesitate mixing politics with a papal visit? >> i don't think -- i think that's what has been touched upon by a variety of different folks you've had on the show here on the short time they've been listening, and that is, i think that the pope transcends politics. i mean, he criticized both republicans and democrats on different fronts there, in the house chamber, but he elevated, you know, the push to say, look, i would challenge each one of you from your different political philosophies, different political perspectives, to live what he

called the yardstick of how do you treat others based on how you like to be treated yourself. he talked about this notion of stewardship and talked about the notion of family. he went through a variety of things but he did it in a way that, i think, was encouraging and ultimately not partisan in nature. >> we're looking at that picture of jet on the left, waiting for pope francis to arrive there. but let me ask, as you sat and listened, there was something for everyone in his comments. -- what the pope said. >> i'm losing a couple of words what you're saying right now. i take it that what you were saying, did i get anything in particular? i would say that the biggest thing that i got was this overall notion of reverence. just his manner, the way in which he approached his speech. there aren't many times.

i've been in the chamber for a lot of din joint addresses. when you see the number of numbers of the house and senate pulling out their cell phones and taking pictures of the speaker in the chamber, that was the case with the pope today. and i think it has a lot to do with the way in which he, again, comes across as certainly a figure who will talk about political themes but he does it in a reverent way. >> congressman mark sanford, thank you so much. i know it's hard to hear me over the other sounds that we're hearing. thank you for your time, sir. someone standing in front, but that is the motorcade carrying the pope toward joint base andrews. pretty soon, i think, we'll see the fiat come into view there. luke russert, you have a ground eye view of that. the crowd seems to be go pretty crazy. >> oh, certainly going crazy, kate. i think enthusiasm is turned up

to 11, probably get higher when the pope comes closer. i'd say he probably 300 yards away, moving ever so slightly. on the red carpet pet secretary of state john kerry with his wife theresa, secretary of the air force, auxiliary bishop. i was struck to see one, padre, just a year ago he was a parish priest in d.c. area in charge of the spanish catholic center. then was tapped by cardinal wuerl to become auxiliary bishop which puts you in line to become cardinal. he's emblematic how the pope sees the churp a man who is boo bilingual, in a deprived area of washington, d.c., and seeing the pope off on a red carpet, as an auxiliary bishop i don't think in this wildest dreams he would have imagined that to be his

calling in this life. you see now the motorcade is slowly approaching. the crowd is getting more and more excited. there are, i would venture to say, a few hundred that have lined up on the fence. we are -- do not know whether or not pope francis will in fact get out and greet these individuals on the fence. but i would suspect, if it's any indication of what he's done at the vatican embassy and done this entire trip, he's the peep's poem but he will say hello, especially because so many of the kids are there up along the fence. the motorcade is coming in to view. we see the motorcycles there, d.c. police, obviously. and now i believe the marine band will begin shortly, this is the pride of the united states, this band, often plays at ceremonies of this nature. secretary kerry has walked to the front of the carpet. you see the flag of the united states, as well as that of the vatican. a lot of military here because

this is joint base andrews, as it's known now. obviously for a lot of catholic members of the military, this is a very, very important day. so you see the fiat coming into view. pope francis waving to the crowd, window is down. there he is. >> luke russert, stand by there. i want to bring in doris kearns goodwin, historian, writer, author with me on the rooftop. as we take a look at picture, you have a smile on your face. your thoughts on the historical importance of the moment? >> i think, at a time when so many of us in america are hungering for leadership, what we're seeing in the popes a true leader. i mean somebody who is accessible, as we see with the warmth. somebody who has empathy, sees things from other people's point of view. somebody who has learned from his own failures, as he says he did when he was too autocratic in early days. it's an extraordinary thing. it shows that's what we want in

leaders. when he said today politics almost should be an honorable vocation, if you can come together for the common good, business is a noble vocation, if it works for the common good. it's that kind of thinking that we need so much in our country today. it's a thrill to watch this kind of character. >> and today, today on capitol hill, that was a once in a lifetime event. that has not happened before with the pope addressing a meeting of congress like that. >> i think it wasn't just the pope being there with joint session of congress. it was the man and the moment. sometimes things become historic because there's a mixing of two things. here he was talking instructing, not ordering, but just telling the best spirits of american culture, when he talked about lincoln and martin luther king, you need to go back to them so you can figure out how to work together. i mean it reminded me when churchill was at a joint session of congress after pearl harbor, three weeks later, the man in the moment came, when mandela

came after prison. this was special. >> let's listen in for a moment at the crowd. . . >> john kerry having a conversation with pope. the two men know each other. worked on the iran nuclear deal, secret cuba negotiations. >> you can feel that when he came through the congressional hallway, one person he spoke to. must be a pretty good moment for secretary kerry as well. >> to be a fly on the wall, know what they're talking about. pope has been active in very current events. he spoke about the syrian refugee crisis, migrant crisis today. >> that's what seem as amazing about what he did today. active politically, he sid a lot of things that some people might

want to hear, other people might not want to hear but veiled them in a tone, tone is important, tone is what we're missing in congress. it's like a tribal group that yell at each other. he wasn't saying anything mean to either side but trying to bring the two sides together. >> give us any insight on the presidential relationship historically with the head of the catholic church. i mean, ever since john f. kennedy, things have sort of changed. first catholic president. i wonder if you know much about president obama's relationship with this pope? >> you know the interesting thing when you bring up john f. kennedy to realize, at the time people were afraid he would be building a tunnel between washington and the vatican and getting orders from the pope. when you have a large percentage of congress who are catholic, a large percentage of the supreme court, and presidents who have met with popes over time, i still think, even though they've met with them over time, there's something about this moment at this time that makes it special for president obama, for our political system, for our

presidential candidates and for those of us who are americans. >> we think about the moment that we're in, we were thinking earlier today, we were saying, tonight is the state dinner for the president of china and monday at the u.n. the president is set to meet with vladimir putin. these are times when maybe the pope could come in handy as a neutral voice. >> absolutely. >> i mean that in all seriousness, as a moderator. >> think about the days of what the pope's hours have been like, now what president obama's hours have been like, you know these guy guys are working hard for what they can do. i can't imagine any of us say i'll meet the pope today, the chinese guy tomorrow, putin the next. having to be on each of those things. >> he's taking his time, going down the way here, greeting everyone personally, which is not unexpected for this pope. >> what you feel about him is that he gets energy from the people. and agn,