Multitudes Gather for a Glimpse Or, Perhaps, a Touch of the Hand

Gallery

Pontiff Begins Historic U.S. Visit in the District

Pope Benedict XVI was greeted with pealing church bells, enthusiastic throngs and gorgeous spring weather during a historic journey across Washington that took him from the green expanse of the South Lawn of the White House to the stone steps of one of the city's most spectacular churches.

» LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

Already, he said, he and his wife had experienced a miracle, obtaining from a church mentor two hard-to-get tickets to today's papal mass.

"Why did we receive this?" Merino asked. "It's a blessing from God."

A friend, Oscar Zavala, laughed as he listened.

"It's because you're a sinner," Zavala said. "The ones who need are the ones who receive."

A few yards away, Nancy Lim, a World Bank budget officer, stood among a cross section of Washingtonians: uniformed janitors, accountants and lawyers in dark suits and college students in George Washington University sweat shirts.

Lim said she felt compelled by history to leave her desk and witness the moment.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing to see the pope," she said, adding that even a blurred glimpse would make her "feel closer to him and the Church."

Not everyone who greeted the pope was an admirer. Outside Catholic University, where Benedict traveled late in the afternoon, a half-dozen clusters of protesters gathered.

One protester held a sign chiding the Vatican over the child sexual abuse scandals. Another stood in front of a statue of Mary cradling baby Jesus. He carried a black leather-bound Bible and chanted into a megaphone: "It's idolatry! It's idolatry!"

Kate Braggs, 23, who lives in the District, was part of a contingent with a sign that read, "Equal Rites for All" and "Women: The Answer to the Priest Shortage."

"We want to send the pope a message that women and gays and lesbians deserve equal rights," Braggs said.

The dissent was dwarfed by expressions of support inside the university.

< 2 >