President Obama tells Pope 'I'll pick you up at the airport'
In what could be one of the most "puzzling" moves made by the White House, it declared that President Barack Obama and the First Lady, Michelle Obama, will appear at the Andrews Air Force Base to pick up the Pope later this month.
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said, "The President and the First Lady will greet His Holiness Pope Francis on his arrival at Joint base Andrews in the United States on Tuesday, September 22, 2015."
On September 23, Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the White House, and as per American tradition, the President and the First Lady are expected to welcome His Holiness. Schultz said the President and the Pope will resume talks that they started when Obama visited the Vatican in March 2014, adding that the two big names will discuss "their shared values and commitments to a wide range of issues."
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People says it is "rare" for the President to welcome a foreign dignitary's plane. On the other hand, some American administrations have greeted the Pope at the airport. Former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush both proceeded to the airport in 2008 to meet Pope Benedict at the Maryland military base.
According to The New York Times, the President and the Pope, despite their disagreements on abortion rights and gay marriage, harbor the same concerns about income inequality and the environment.
Schultz said they are all aware that meeting the Pope first at the airport is not really mandatory or stated by the law, but since Bush has done it, then they "felt like this was customary," further explaining that he thinks the President "definitely wanted to do this."
Pope Francis has confirmed that he will be visiting the United States, particularly New York and Philadelphia, after his first scheduled appearance in Washington D.C.
The President will be hosting a formal arrival ceremony for the Pope at the White House South Lawn, and afterward will lead the Pope to a joint meeting with the Congress.
