Vatican’s Lombardi: In USA , Francis wants to address global questions

“I’m sure that I haven’t said anything more than what’s written in the social doctrine of the Church”, he said.

Francis, 78, has never visited the United States before.

Pope Francis waves upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday, September 22, 2015, where President, Mrs. Obama, and others were to greet him.

Pope Francis’ visit to Washington DC will last through Thursday, and will include a landmark address to Congress which none of the previous three popes who visited the US have done. The pope flew in after a four-day visit to Cuba.

Congressman Bobby Scott (D) 3rd District told WAVY.com, “I think when Pope Francis speaks to the Joint Session of Congress he will ask America to do more to help the poor and the disadvantaged”. They gave all of those to the Catholic Diocese in Nashville, which distributed them to local youth groups, Catholic high schools and priests. “He is really out here telling us to be involved with the downtrodden”, Clements said.

Pope Francis is scheduled to leave NYC Saturday morning and arrive in Philadelphia at 9:30 a.m. An hour later, he will hold Mass at Cathedral Basilica of Sts. “He’s new, he’s bringing change to the Catholic Church”.

Recent poll numbers show Pope Francis with a whopping 70 percent favorability rating; compared to just 49 percent for President Barack Obama and only 15 percent for Congress.

Many say he is just a regular guy who happens to be the pope. And some South Mississippians said they weren’t going to miss seeing his first trip.

With Pope Francis now on USA soil dozens of students from the University of Akron are preparing to travel to Philadelphia for the opportunity to see and hear the pope in person.

“One of my favorite characteristics of the Pope is his commitment to social justice and and a good state of life for all people“, added Karla Luke with the diocese’s Office of Catholic Education.

“The rarity of it”, said Bill Alman, the White House Curator.

Baton Rouge Bishop Robert Muench, who grew up in New Orleans and served as a priest and church leader here, will also take part in papal activities in Washington. The first-ever papal visit to Washington – or anywhere in the Western Hemisphere – occurred on October 4, 1965 when Pope Paul VI arrived in New York City to an official reception by President Lyndon B. Johnson.