The president was accompanied by his wife and their two daughters. There were no speeches. The official welcome ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow when the pope visits the White House.

Washington (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis arrived in the United States, landing at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington a few minutes before 4 pm, local time, where he was met by President Barack Obama, the First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Natasha.

In addition to the civilian authorities, the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Card Donald Wuerl, was also present.

A small crowd at the military base greeted the pontiff, chanting, "Hey, hey Pope Francis is on the way" and "We love Pope Francis every day."

No speech was planned for Francis’ arrival. The official welcoming ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow, when the Holy Father goes to the White House.

After the brief meeting between Pope Francis and President Obama at the airport, the pontiff travelled by car to the Nunciature.

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