Pope Francis, stepping foot on United States soil for the first time in his life, met President Obama on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base Tuesday afternoon.
The pope’s Alitalia airline plane landed at the base outside Washington D.C. at about 3:49 p.m. eastern. Obama and his family, along with Vice President Joe Biden and members of his family, greeted him upon arrival.
As the pope taxied, the crowd awaiting him at Andrews chanted: “We love Francis yes we do, we love Francis how about you?” An American flag and the flag of Vatican City were visible on the plane after landing.
Having flown to the United States directly from Cuba, Pope Francis is scheduled to spend Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Washington; Friday in New York; and Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia.
On Wednesday, the pope is set to meet with Obama at the White House, participate in a parade along the national mall and participate in religious services.
On Thursday, Pope Francis will deliver a speech to a joint meeting of Congress. On Friday, he will visit the United Nations in New York and hold mass at Madison Square Garden. On Saturday, he will visit Independence Mall in Philadelphia and on Sunday, he will visit a prison.