As Pope Francis touched down in the United States Tuesday for his first visit, an ebullient crowd welcomed him, shouting, "Francisco! Francisco!"
At Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, the pope was greeted by President Barack Obama and his family on the tarmac, which had been adorned with a red carpet. During his U.S. tour, he will make stops in Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia.
Over the next several days, the pope will address Congress, meet with the United Nations and Obama, and visit a homeless shelter and a prison. He has spent the past few days in Cuba.
His speeches and actions will be carefully scrutinized. Many expect him to discuss climate change, which he wrote about in a head-turning encyclical, released in June.
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