>> it was great. i can't put into words the joy and excitement the crowd had going on, and the pope was just -- his presence was humble and holy. >> the students got up early this morning around 2:00 to get to the embassy to see the pope. they waited for about an hour and a half to see him. naturally of occasion resulted in a few selfies like this one. >> you're now watching news4 at five as we continue to follow the pope as he celebrates mass at the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception. tisha thompson takes an inside look at what it was like for people trying to catch a glimpse. >> reporter: i'm at 18th and constitution, the site of one of the security gates. for anybody who wanted to try to see the pope today, this is where i was during the inauguration. unlike that event where people

had a lot of complaints about how rough security was, this was actually an easy event for people to get into. folks started lining up early in the morning, then once the gates were open, moved through very quickly. but security was tight. they were taking away things people hadn't thought about. they took away the wooden sticks that flags were attached to. they said it was something the pope's security detail had asked for. we watched lots of people come through, including two ladies who said they dressed up as angels, not just to have the pope see them, but also in hopes that they would get other people happy and excited about the event. >> it was awesome. we had front row seats. and, you know, he was so close. >> he was so happy. we were so happy. it was really beautiful. and it's a once in a lifetime experience. i'll never forget it. >> reporter: by far and away,

the vast majority of people were over the moon that they had an opportunity to see the pope. there was a skirmish after the parade was finished with protestors who weren't allowed at t inside the security gates. a gentleman tried to take away the microphone from one of those protestors. the police got involved and broke it up. it lasted about ten seconds. tisha thompson, news4. getting home after the pope's mass could be the big challenge this evening. people arrived via the metro in waves today. but the brookland station is small. it isn't equipped to handle the large number of people expected to leave at once this evening. news4's mark segraves is there with more. >> reporter: that's right, not much activity outside the brookland metro station. the platform all but empty, call

it the calm before the storm, if you will. take a look at what it looked like this morning when people were getting off and getting in line to get into the basilica. as you said, they arrived here in waves this morning. so there wasn't too much pressure on the system. but what will happen this evening when everybody leaves at about the same time? this metro station is the smallest station on the red line. at its maximum capacity it can only handle about 10,000 people an hour. what will happen just before the mass end? they will switch this station to outgoing only. that means only customers coming on and getting on trains can come in. no one will be able to get off to exit the station here. they will have buses here, shuttle buses so that you'll have an option, if you don't want to take the metro at this station, you can take the shuttle bus over to fort totten, then catch a train there. metro has shuttle buses lined up ready to facilitate that. again, this station can only

handle about 10,000 people an hour. when the 25,000 people inside the basilica grounds get out at about the same time, there will be a crush here. and of course we'll be here to show you what's going on and to show you how metro is handling this. back to you in the studio, chris. >> mark segraves, thank you, mark. >> it's been wonderful to be part of the coverage here. we'll turn things over to vance and doreen in a second. let's go back to wendy and david. >> we're joined by monsignor bill parent as well. we heard the reading in native american language, clearly trying to bridge cultures here as well. >> absolutely. and specifically in one of the native american languages, one of the dialects of northern california, one of the regions

where st. junipero serra established his mission. it's very much an attempt to incorporate. and many of those native americans today are catholic. it's a way of bringing them into this joyful occasion. >> reporter: we've been talking about how pope francis really does engage people, he is a user-friendly, affectionate pope, a little bit of a touchstone, has the common touch. how do you know if this francis factor, as they call it, the francis effect, how do you know if it is taking root, if it is awakening, reawake awakawakenis who call themselves lapsed? >> i think we can already see, anecdotally, he certainly is having an effect. i'm seeing that at st. peter's church in waldorf, people coming

back and saying, i came back because this pope made me think about being christian, being catholic a little differently, and i want a closer relationship with my church. francis is not looking for us to be perfect. he recognizes we're all sinners. in fact the first thing he said when he was elected pope by the cardinals was, "i am a great sinner." "but trusting in god's mercy, i accept." it's recognizing all of us need god's mercy. the francis effect is helping people understand in a god's mercy is there for them until the chur-- in the church. >> so faith as a journey and as a process throughout your life. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> now we're in the second reading, in english. we'll listen in a little. >> petition with thanksgiving, make your request known to god,

then the peace of god that passeth all understanding with all your heart and mind. finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is anything excellent, and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. keep on doing what you have received and heard and seen. then god and peace be with you. >> the word of the lord as was said there, the response of the people. that winds up the second reading

here. it moves now to the gospel. when it comes to a mass like this, do we anticipate the pope, while he's a celebrant, may not be the one reading the gospel here; is that correct? >> that's correct, david. at a high mass of this nature, this is a ministry for one of the deacons here present. i'm not sure which deacon has been given this role. i will say that our parish deacon at st. peter's is given the honor of giving communion at this mass today. >> we heard a little earlier that the vatican is saying, don't look at this homily to see much news come out of it when it comes to major statements. but this will be a spiritual message we anticipate from the pope. what do you anticipate to hear, monsignor? >> i think we're going to hear a message about the importance of a missionary spirit, of reaching

out to all people, of loving them, meeting them where they are and loving them and making the love of god real in our treatment of them. i think we're going to hear a message that this is joyful, that to reach out to people in this way is the sign of christian joy. some of the more controversial issues about the environment or immigration, or family and some of these issues, i think we'll hear those in the day to come. i don't think that's what we're going to hear today at this mass. >> in many ways, he steps away from the political issues and brings to them spiritual food, spiritual nourishment. is he getting that across, do you think? >> oh, i think so.

he has invited certainly priests, he's invited every catholic, every member of the church to come out of their comfort zones, for us to come out of our comfort zones and reach out, stretch to reach out to people who are lost, people who are hurting, people who are in need. in a way, certainly that's always been the christian message. but the emphasis that pope francis has given this message, it's refreshing. and combined with his charisma, it really i think has given us, including us priests, a reason to stop and reflect on what we're doing and trying to reach out a little more. >> and perhaps this speaks to the jesuit message that he embodies that i love reading, that the church should not be upset, this coming from the pope, with moral doctrine, it should be like a battlefield hospital tending to the wounded. >> yes, that is one of the lines

that he is known for, that we are like a hospital in battle. i think it's true. again, it comes to that idea, we are all sinners, we are all wounded by sin. he includes himself in that. there are no exceptions except jesus and maybe, for us catholics, mary. everyone needs god's mercy. the joy of christianity is god wants to heal us and offers to heal us through this person, jesus christ. >> reporter: do you think he is pushing the envelope at all? some have called him a bit of an activist because of topics he has talked about, homosexuality, he said we should stop being obsessed with abortion, contraception, and homosexuality. i believe he said priests who wouldn't baptize children of unmarried children, he thought there was something sick about that. does that make some people uncomfortable within the church, or is that part of the landscape

that he can roam in? >> he's inviting us to come out of our comfort zone, which means he wants us all in some way to be uncomfortable, to reach out to others. now, in these teachings that you mentioned, in each of these cases, he said reportedly on the plane coming here from cuba, he said, no, i'm not a liberal, and he's not a conservative. he transcends human politics. he's trying to bring the gospel of jesus christ to all people as the catholic church's universal pastor. will that make other people uncomfortable? the short answer is yes. >> reporter: now let's head back to jim vance and doreen gants wheth -- doreen gentzler. >> wendy, we appreciate your coverage out there. >> we do. we'll get back to you shortly at

the basilica. quite a day it has been for the pope on this visit to washington. we are going to recap the day. right now we'll go back to the service. >> translator: glory to you, lord jesus christ. ♪ >> and now they will read the gospel, the gospel according to matthew. monsignor, this will be read in spanish. and we anticipate you may hear the translation at home in english. if not, we can bring you through

that. that's what we're here for. again, this is so symbolic in many ways. he's handing off the holy book to a deacon to read this gospel, right, monsignor? >> and it's the book that the deacon is carrying this moment, literally called "the book of the gospels," it contains our holiest christian texts. >> what is the message out of this gospel, monsignor? >> i referred to it a couple times. this is the conclusion of matthew's gospel. we don't have 12 apostles now, we have 11, because judas has betrayed him and christ has

risen from the dead. this is the commissioning of the 11 where he passes his power to them and charges them with going to all nations. >> translator: i shall say it again, rejoice. these are words which impact our lives. the lord tells us to rejoice. he practically orders us to rejoice. this command resonates with the desire we all have for a fulfilling life. a meaningful life, a joyful life. it is as if paul could hear what each one of us is thinking in his or her heart and to voice

what we are feeling, what we are experiencing. something deep within us invites us to rejoice and tells us not to settle for placebos which simply keep us comfortable. at the same time, though, we all know the struggles of everyday life. so much seems to stand in the way of the desire to rejoice. it can often lead us to a kind of glum apathy which gradually becomes a habit with a fatal consequence. our hearts -- >> right now you are hearing the

homily. let's listen in as you're hearing an english translation of this, delivered in spanish. >> translator: or do we? we don't want the force of habit to rule our life. or do we? so we ought to ask ourselves, what can we do to keep our hearts from growing numb, from becoming anesthetized? how do we make the joy of the gospel increase and take deeper root in our lives? and jesus gives us the answer. he said it then and he says it now. go forth, proclaim. joy in the gospel is something to be experienced, something to

be known only through giving it away, through giving ourselves away. the spirit of the world tells us to be like everyone else, to settle for what comes easy. faced with this human way of thinking, we must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and for the world. it is the responsibility to proclaim the message of jesus. for the source of our joy is an endless desire to show mercy, the fruit of our own experience of the power of the father's infinite mercy. go out to all, proclaim by

anointing, and anoint by proclaiming. this is what the lord tells us today. he tells us. a christian finds joy in mission. go out to people of every nation. a christian experiences joy in following a commandment. go forth and proclaim the good news. a christian finds every joy in answering a call. go forth and anoint. jesus sends his disciples out to all nations, to every people. we too are a part of all those people 2,000 years ago.

jesus did not provide a short list of who is or who is not worthy of receiving his message, his presence. instead, he always embraced life as he saw it. in the face of pain, hunger, sickness, in the face of thirst, doubt, and pity. far from expecting a pretty life, he embraced life as he found it. it made no difference whether it was dirty, unkempt, or broken.

jesus said, go out and tell the good news to everyone. go out and in my name, embrace life as it is and not as you think it should be. go out to the highways and byways. go out to tell the good news fearlessly, without prejudice, without superiority, without condescension. to all those who have lost the joy of living. go out to proclaim the mercy and embrace of the father. go out to those who are burdened by pain and failure, who feel that their lives are empty, and proclaim the loving father who wants to anoint them with the

oil of hope, the oil of salvation. go out to proclaim the good news that error, deceitful illusions and falsehood do not have the last word in a person's life. go out with the ointment that soothes wounds and heals hearts. mission is never the fruit of a perfectly planned program or a well-organized manual. mission is always the fruit of a life which knows what it is to be found and healed, encountered and forgiven. mission is born of a constant expression of god's merciful

anointing. the church, the holy people of god, so often traversed the road of conflict, injustice, and violence in order to encounter her children, our brothers and sisters. the holy and faithful people of god are not afraid of losing their way. they are afraid of becoming self enclosed, frozen into elites, clinging to their own security. they know that self-enclosure and all of the many forms it takes is the cause of so much apathy.

so let us go out, let us go forth to offer everyone the life of jesus christ. the people of god can embrace everyone because we are the disciples of the one who knelt before his own to wash their feet. the reason we're here today is that many other people wanted to respond to that call. they believe that life grows by giving away. and it weakens in isolation and conflict. we are heirs to the bold

missionary spirit of so many men and women who preferred not to be shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within habits which made us feel safe while at our door people are starving. we are indebted to a tradition, a chain of witnesses who have made it possible for the good news of the gospel to be in every generation of good and news. and today we remember one of those witnesses who testified to the joy of the gospel in these

lands. father junipero serra. he was the embodiment of a church which goes forth, a church which sets out to bring everywhere the reconciling tenderness of god. junipero serra left his native land and its way of life. he was excited about blazing trails, going forth to meet many people, learning and valuing the particular customs and ways of life. he learned how to bring to birth and nurture god's life in the faces of the native community, of everyone he met. junipero serra sought to defend the dignity of the native community, to protect it from those who have mistreated and

abused them. mistreatment and wrongs which today still trouble us, especially because of the hurt which they caused in the lives of many people. father serra had a motto which inspired his life and work, a saying he lived hisife by. keep moving forward. for him, this was the way to continue experiencing the joy of the gospel, to keep his heart from going numb, from being anesthetized. he kept moving forward because the lord was waiting. he kept going because his brothers and sisters were waiting. he kept going forward to the end

of his life. today, like him, may we always be able to say, forward, let's keep moving forward. [ applause ] >> reporter: pope francis finishing his homily in which he preached of joy, the mission work of the catholics, and he invoked the words of father junipero serra who was canonized, and told them to go forward. he's stirring the embers and rekindling the flames, monsignor parent? >> certainly. most catholics think of missionaries like father junipero serra who go to breach

the gospel in other countries. what pope francis is saying to us is all of us are called to go out to bring this good news to horse and to do it joyfully. so we're all missionaries. it was a message of mission and of joy in the mission. >> reporter: and not to settle into an easy lifestyle but to go out. >> he's trying to get them out. >> he's saying, get out of your comfort zone, don't stay shut in in your own little gated communities and your lifestyles where you don't have to interact with anyone who is poor or different than you are. he's saying to all of us, go out and bring jesus to everybody by loving them. >> reporter: monsignor bill parent, thank you so much for being a wonderful guide for us today. we appreciate it. >> we'll send it back to vance and doreen. >> you don't have to be a

catholic to appreciate the elegance of the service at the basilica today. >> and what a powerful and moving message in the pope's homily, not a political message but a very personal message, to reach out to others and get out of your comfort zone. he said that life grows by giving away, and it weakens by isolation and comfort, words we can all relate to. we'll continue to monitor the service that's underway right now. and we will go back out there shortly. the pope's first full day here in washington has been very busy. >> this mass was preceded by a busy day's worth of events for the pope and his first full day in the district. tens of thousands of people waited hours before dawn just to catch a glimpse of him. >> as pope francis left the vatican embassy this morning, he smiled and walked straight to the crowds lined up to greet him. he was headed to the white house. but he made time to shake hands,

chat, embrace, even one excited man stole a kiss. crowds who had waited since before dawn grabbed shots on their cellphones of the now-famous fiat making its way to the white house. the large -- the average -- argentinian blessed children and even kissed a few babies along the way. he spoke at a prayer service with bishops about their work and urged them to make sure that the sex abuse scandal in the search is never repeated. he called on americans to not be afraid to welcome the stream of latin american immigrants coming into this country. and with this he was off, apologizing for not having time to meet with every single bishop.

>> all day long we've had a team of reporters covering every angle of the pope's visit, including the services at the basilica. about 25,000 people are now gathered at the basilica for the pope's first mass here on u.s. soil. the basilica is across from catholic university. it's in the heart of the brookland community in northeast dc. we go there now. meagan fitzgerald has been there all day, along with a crowd that started showing up shortly after sunrise. meagan? >> reporter: jim, they were. and we were catching them as the holy father was delivering the homily. they were listening intently to every word he was saying. go out and love everyone, accept everyone. certainly something that was received here but also something that was received just because they know who the holy father is. for instance, earlier today

there were some issues security, getting into the basilica, even those who had tickets, of course the only ones who were able to get in here. it took a little longer than unusual. i asked a woman who you she felt about it and she said it's important to have patience and compassion. younger people were just as excited as the adults were. they say it's pope francis's unique ability to connect with people. they say he lives the word, in other words he practices what he preaches. we asked a few children who were among the 25,000 people who were here today what comes t-- what makes the pontiff to special to them. >> i think pope francis has gone out of his way to connect with everyone at an individual level. >> he sees jesus within him. >> reporter: these children certainly learning at a young

age to be kind, to be loving, to love their neighbor. again, as monsignor rossi and cardinal wuerl has said, they've seen an increase of young people coming into catholicism. back to you. >> meagan fitzgerald, thank you. this pope has a personal warmth that is appealing to everyone who encounters him, especially true for the huge crowd outside the white house this morning. a guy managed to capture this very up-close moment when the pontiff blessed a baby during the papal parade around the ellipse, recorded just after the popemobile left the white house grounds. news4's pat collins is live in downtown. pat? >> reporter: doreen, what a wonderful day in our beautiful city. you know, when the pope is in that fiat, you can barely see his arm. but when he's in the popemobile, it's whole different story. and today that was the day to see the pope.

if you wanted to see the pope up close, and you didn't get a ticket for a ceremonial event, this was the place to be. pope francis in that jeep wrangler, fashioned into the now-famous popemobile, cruising around the ellipse. the pope right there, not close enough to touch, but certainly close enough to see and photograph and make an impression that will not soon be forgotten. >> my heart was going to explode. it was wonderful. my faith is rejuvenated. >> reporter: what a day. it was like an inauguration. except with better weather. a state of high security, metal detectors, searches, snipers in the sky, cops lining the streets. for the people, the wait was long. but it was a high-spirited

crowd, chanting and singing. there he was, in that famous popemobile. he stopped to kiss a baby and retrieve a t-shirt from a little girl. more waves, more blessings. more memories. >> he waved to us and we felt the energy. >> it was amazing. i felt an aura come over my body. i was in such a shock. it was something. >> reporter: it was something. you know, in the end, this was a parade of one man. but what a powerful impact it had. more on that, coming up at 6:00. jim, back to you. >> thanks, pat. maybe it was a coincidence, maybe not, but it certainly was a beautiful evening on the campus of catholic university. the weather on this first day of fall has been perfect for a pontiff and for the rest of us as well. we have team coverage on the weather and the traffic that people have to deal with when

this is over. doug and melissa. >> we had some crowds and rain over the last few days. he arrives and it's absolutely gorgeous. and the roadways and the metro better than expected too. >> much better, people are sending me texts and facebook messages saying this is better than we thought. brookland station, open for entry and exit right now, entry only when the mass wraps up, probably in the next hour or so. metro telling everybody to take buses to rhode island avenue or fort totten instead of brookland. some entrances could be closed for security reasons. all stations will be open until midnight. regular evening rush hour service today. additional service of course this evening during those late night hours if it really takes a long time to get folks out of the way there. the silver line is still only

running between wiehle-reston and eastern market. it was an amazing day for the pope, we have to give you ten stars, doug. >> temperatures well above average right now. temperature near 80 degrees. in the upper 70s, winds out of the east at 13 miles per hour. a nice breeze across the region. it will be another cool start to the day tomorrow. if you're going to the u.s. capitol, it will be sunny, 64 at 7:00 a.m. by 11:00, 75 degrees. later we'll talk about the weekend forecast. >> thank you, doug. for all the special moments from the pope's events today and a look ahead at tomorrow, visit

our nbc washington app. you'll find his latest schedule, find out about road closures, and hear from people who have had their lives touched by the pope. we'll show you how some school kids got a picture with the pontiff.

as soon as pope francis left the vatican embassy this morning for the white house, he was greeted by a big crowd of excited schoolchildren one thing all of them were hoping for, a pope selfie. the pontiff appeared happy to comply. >> it just went by so fast, i don't even remember. it was a little nerve wracking. it was a once in a lifetime experience.

>> she told nbc's tom costello that while the moment is a bit of a blur, at least she'll have this photo to always remember her big day. a lot of excitement for a lot of local children and a story they'll be telling for the rest of their lives. tracy wilkins reports on children who met pope francis at the vatican embassy this morning. >> reporter: it's moment that patrick won't forget, and not just because he got a selfie. he and these members of georgetown prep went to the vatican embassy in hopes of just seeing the pope leave this morning. >> when he finally came out, it was incredible to see him. >> reporter: then the experience was taken to a whole other level. >> he came over to me and reached out his hands. i thought to myself, wow, i'm about to shake the holiest person in the entire world's hands. >> his hands were really soft and warm. in the moment i shook his hand,

it was so peaceful and warm. >> i've never felt anything like that before. he had this weird glow about him that just is sticking with me right now. i don't see that ever leaving me. >> i haven't washed it yet. it's kind of crazy. i don't know if i want to. >> did he say anything? >> he did not. he did not. i said something to him. >> reporter: what did you say? >> i said i love you. >> reporter: it was supposed to be a chan to take a look at the pontiff but it turned into much, much more. >> you could just look in his eyes and he was staring right at you. it was really cool to know that all of his focus was on you in the moment. >> reporter: the father says more than 30% of the students who attend this school are not catholic. but this interaction with the pope transcends religion. in bethesda, i'm tracy wilkins, news4. pope francis and president obama took part in the traditional diplomatic exchange of gifts this morning when they met in the oval office after a

big welcome ceremony on the south lawn. the president presented the pope with a sculpture of an ascending dove and the key to the home of elizabeth ann seton, the first nativ native-born american to be declared a saint. the pope gave president obama a plaque from the world meeting of families in philadelphia, where he will celebrate mass on sunday. tomorrow morning the pope will head from the vatican embassy for his final day of events here in dc. the day will begin on capitol hill where the pope will deliver a speak to a joint session of congress. very with partnered with the dupont festival so you will be able to watch that speech. there will be a jumbotron in dupont circle so you can hear,

as well as on news4. people started getting in line to see the pope today at about 4:00 this morning. security was tight even then. tisha thompson spent the day outside the security gates at 18th and constitution. she shows us now what did and didn't get through today. >> reporter: they may have been here for the pope. but everyone wanted a photo with these two angels from vienna, virginia. why this outfit? >> we're credo catholics. >> reporter: the angels, mary and nancy, had no problems getting through security with their wings. >> members are members -- ther issue with sticks on poles. we've been taking the flags off the poles.

>> reporter: those left behind tried to catch a glimpse of the popemobile from two blocks away. there was a minor scuffle when someone tried to grab a bullhorn to yell hate speech about catholics, women, gays, and blacks. nearly everyone ignored them, overcome with joy over getting a glimpse of the pope. >> this man brought love to america. >> reporter: these two angels told us their lifelong dream had been fulfilled. >> it was awesome. we had front row seats. >> it was fast. >> he was so happy and we were so happy. it was really beautiful. and it's a once in a lifetime experience. >> i'll never forget it. >> reporter: this was the same location i was at at the

presidential inauguration where people had a lot of complaints about security. today, people were just happy to be here. at 18th and constitution, tisha thompson, news4. >> we hope the angels took a lot of pictures. >> i think they're featured in a lot of people's pictures. the weather played a big part, veronica. >> the weather was perfect, allowing everyone to stay out for long periods of time today, really enjoy themselves and take in the day. humidity was low. temperatures perfect across the area, a few degrees above average. if you're going out this evening, we'll be heading down into the 60s late, under a mostly clear to clear sky. still low humidity around our area. tomorrow, a nice day as well coming up. low impact forecast for tomorrow. another nice one with just high clouds moving into the area tomorrow. here's how we're going to start the day. between 50 and 64 degrees. skies will be clear. expect temperatures to be a little lower again for tomorrow.

then they're going to rise quickly. a couple of degrees higher than today. again, humidity pretty nice across the area. from 77 degrees culpeper, to 80 degrees right inside the dea beltway. here's a look at thursday. joint base andrews, 79 the temperature. then he'll be late in the day, 5, 6:00, making his way to philadelphia, pennsylvania. you can see that sky. there's our skycast 4. mostly sunny conditions, just some high clouds, very picturesque. sunset tomorrow at 7:02. here's the deal for the weekend. we're tracking the storm system. on friday, the end of the week, very close to the outer banks. then it's going to skirt north with regard to and northeastward. as we get into the weekend for saturday, we're talking about rain moving into our area. showers expected across our

areas. here's the way it's looking on saturday. areas south of 66 have the best chance of showers on saturday. of course a lot is going on on saturday. landmark music festival. make sure you pack the rain gear especially for the kids heading out to that, 43% chance of rain. 73 the temperature, so cool on top of that. even sunday right now we carry the threat of rain. a lot of low clouds. there's the possibility, which i hope this pans out, that our showers will come early in the day on sunday, and then we get a bit of a break for at least the second half of the day on sunday. but very cool temperatures coming our way for the weekend. it will feel a lot like fall. i don't think that we're going to be able to catch the lunar eclipse on sunday. we've got way too many clouds expected across our area. i've posted more than that on my facebook page, be sure to check it out. next week, upper 70s to mid-80s with another chance of rain next

week. get out and enjoy things tomorrow. >> reporter: ever wanted to roll like the pontiff? i'll tell you what it feels like. we'll have details coming up on news4. [ female announcer ] business travel isn't just about the going. it's also about the going home. and being connected all along the way. whether you're working or recharging, do business travel on your terms. acela. take off.

mass was celebrated at the basilica just a few minutes ago. >> reporter: let me tell you where we are with the mass. >> the moments where they're going to distribute communion. for folks who don't want us to be disrespectful, you can watch on cosi. >> reporter: as i was walking,

we had to get on buses at the marriott marquis downtown. as i was walking to the marriott this morning, because those buses were going to be taking the media into the basilica grounds and the grounds of catholic university, i saw hundreds of these people, mostly hispanic, latino, walking down towards the mall, obviously to go welcome the pope. as we came into our building here, that's with the people going out this morning on ninth street, we passed what looked like a makeshift sacristy, where the priests were going to get their vestments to join the mass. those were the pictures i captured. >> when we went on our little walk, what we consider the pope festival grounds, because it's such a light atmosphere here, we saw dozens of priests going into that vestment room.

tsa was actually involved in our security, helping us out. you saw blue everyone, not only the color of the moment here, the theme, but it also was tsa agents helping to keep folks as secure as possible. then our crew here, trying to keep the energy going. what you have to understand is to be able to bring you this broadcast, we had to have a crew here very early in the morning to set everything up, go through security. security wasn't all that smooth at first. >> reporter: no, it wasn't. and they didn't have any magn o magnetometers. we saw a life size model of the pope, so we had to take a picture with it. we felt his joy. it's been a beautiful day, mass is continuing. we're going to be beginning communion soon. we'll bring you more of that shortly. back to you. >> thank you both.

pope francis has indicated he hopes his first visit to the united states will inspire americans in a number of ways. his decision to forego a fancy limousine is already catching on. as derrick ward reports now, the pope's humble car is sparking fiat fever. >> reporter: a little car carrying around a big dig nn di is causing quite a stir. the pope may be in the business of saving souls but he may have helped close a few deals. >> she called me up this morning, said hey, i think i've reconsidered my purchase of the fiat, i would like to come in and get one. >> reporter: this car dealer is not surprised. the little italian import is becoming more popular around these parts. >> the biggest market entry is

in the b&c class cars, which is the smaller cars. >> reporter: that was even before the pope was seen tooling around town in one. with the larger international community here, there's built-in familiarity. >> a lot of folks here have already seen them in italy, been in italy and rented one. >> reporter: of course after today, this seat gained some of its let's say panache back. while this one may always be considered the popemobile, this one may be the one that generates the most buzz, at least on this trip. derrick ward, news4. now at 6:00, unprecedented security as pope francis delivers his message to america. >> we are living at a critical moment in history. >> his inspiration to a nation. >> 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. >> the celebration on the street. >> my heart was going to explode. it was wonderful. >> i've never felt anything like that before. having him look in my eyes, he had this weird glow about him that is sticking with me right now. >> and the controversy surrounding the first ever canonization on u.s. soil. >> news4 has every detail covered. >> reporter: from the pomp and circumstance around the white house -- >> reporter: to the long lines on metro. >> and the historic moment right here at the basilica. >> team coverage of the pope's visit to washington starts now. indeed for many, the day began in pre-dawn darkness. tens of thousands of people gathering around the ellipse, all of them with a hope of catching a glimpse of the pope. >> and it would come after his meeting with president obama. a short parade filled with a

number of special moments and captured on camera. a cheering crowd of 20,000 people waiting for a smile or just a wave in their direction. photos capture the kissing of a baby. and a little girl who handed the pope a letter. it was just the beginning. after a meeting with bishops, pope francis went back to the vatican embassy, giving hugs and selfies with students. >> but the day is not just about the image but also the message, as the pope delivered his first mass in the united states. our coverage now begins with wendy rieger and david culver, at the historic moment outside the basilica. folks? >> it was a day of contagious joy. it really was. it ignited everybody. >> the holy father is one who loves to bring the joy and cheerfulness. you can see the smiles from the moment he came to the n