Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Los Angeles Times

World

Alan Zarembo

A day of firsts: Pope Francis' visit to Washington

Sept. 24--REPORTING FROM WASHINGTON -- It was a day of firsts for U.S. Catholics, as the first pope from Latin America spent his first full day ever in the United States, presiding over his first Mass here -- and canonizing the 18th century missionary known as the Apostle of California.

Massive, roaring crowds lined the streets as Pope Francis traversed Washington, D.C., in his "popemobile" and a Fiat hatchback on a sun-drenched day that mixed politics with spiritual pageantry.

In speeches, Pope Francis touched on a wide range of controversies, including climate change, immigration and -- most divisively -- the priest sexual abuse scandal that has roiled the church for more than a decade and led to large declines in U.S. church membership.

The day began with a welcoming ceremony attended by 11,000 people on the South Lawn of the White House. Speaking first, President Obama praised the pontiff's humble style and powerful advocacy for the poor.

"From the busy streets of Buenos Aires to remote villages in Kenya, Catholic organizations serve the poor, minister to prisoners, build schools and homes, and operate orphanages and hospitals," Obama said. "And just as the church has stood with those struggling to break the chains of poverty, it has given voice and hope to those seeking to break the chains of violence and oppression."

The president noted how Francis' personal touch had earned him admiration throughout the world and set a "profound moral example" in challenging people of all faiths to follow God's call.

Obama also noted another first, observing that Francis is the first pope "to share an encyclical through a Twitter account" -- a reference to the wide-ranging document on climate change and the environment released in June.

When Francis took the lectern, he expressed support for gentler immigration policies by introducing himself as "the son of an immigrant family" and as a "guest of this country, which was largely built by such families."

Then he quickly changed the topic to one of the most divisive issues in U.S. politics: climate change. While praising Obama for efforts to reduce air pollution, he said much more action is needed to protect the Earth for those who will inherit it.

Invoking Martin Luther King Jr., he said: "We can say that we have defaulted on a promissory note and now is the time to honor it."

The canonization of Father Junipero Serra, the founder of the California mission system, occurred as more than 25,000 people gathered outside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

An altar was erected outside the basilica, the largest Catholic church in the nation, to accommodate the huge crowd wishing to see the ceremony that made Serra the 11th American saint. Francis is celebrating the Mass in Spanish, viewed by many as a nod to the growing presence of Latinos in the American Catholic Church.

The canonization has been a source of controversy, with many Native Americans describing Serra as an oppressor who helped destroy the indigenous people of what is now California.

But the crowd roared as the pontiff arrived Wednesday afternoon, his popemobile weaving in and out on the large paths set among the audience. It was Francis' last public event on a busy day that included politics and pageantry.

In his first full day in the United States, Francis has already touched on a wide range of controversies, including the long-running sexual abuse scandal that continues to shake the Roman Catholic Church to its core.

Speaking to hundreds of bishops earlier in the day at St. Matthew's Cathedral in downtown Washington, he acknowledged the damage the scandal had caused -- both to victims and the clergy.

"I realize how much the pain of recent years has weighed upon you and I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims -- in the knowledge that in healing we too are healed -- and to work to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated," he said.

For all of his popularity as a humble servant of the poor and dispossessed, Francis has faced criticism from sexual abuse victims that he has done too little to make amends or prevent more abuse.

Soon after taking over the leadership of the church in 2013, Francis created a commission to develop policies for protecting children from pedophile priests. He also pledged to create a Vatican tribunal to investigate bishops who covered up abuse.

But the church has continued to fight sexual abuse lawsuits and refused to open its records naming thousands of priests who have been accused. It has also continued to oppose efforts to reform statute-of-limitations laws that have shielded priests from prosecution.

"In these gentle but firm reminders of our obligations to God and to one another, you are shaking us out of complacency," the president said at the White House. "All of us may, at times, experience discomfort when we contemplate the distance between how we lead our daily lives and what we know to be true and right. But I believe such discomfort is a blessing, for it points to something better.

"You shake our conscience from slumber; you call on us to rejoice in good news, and give us confidence that we can come together, in humility and service, and pursue a world that is more loving, more just, and more free," he said.

"We love you, Pope Francis!" somebody shouted as the pontiff and the president walked into the White House. They soon emerged on the balcony with First Lady Michelle Obama, waving to the crowd below.

The pope's comments on climate change hit on one of several positions that have endeared him to the political left. He has also been a forceful critic of economic inequality and the excesses of capitalism.

Still, in tenor and tone, Francis has pushed back against efforts to place him in a liberal or conservative category of American politics.

He spoke Wednesday of the importance of "safeguarding the rights of individuals and communities," including "their rights to religious liberty" -- keywords that acknowledge the concerns of religious and conservative Americans.

Francis also touched on his support for marriage as between a man and a woman, saying he would travel to Philadelphia to "support the institutions of marriage and the family at this, a critical moment in the history of our civilization."

From the White House, he proceeded in a parade route past President's Park and the National Mall, finally making his way to St. Matthew's Cathedral for a midday prayer with U.S. bishops.

Massive crowds lined the route, with long lines waiting at security checkpoints.

"This is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity," said Nick Fontana of Washington, who came with his wife, Wanda, and 7-year-old daughter, Virginia, a Catholic school student allowed to miss class today.

Peru native Mimaribel Guillen, 50, of Paterson, N.J., came with her friend Max Rodriguez, 51, of Mexico. Holding American and papal flags, she said having a pope from Latin America was special.

"We think he is going to think more about our problems," she said. "He cannot do everything but maybe he can make a little change."

This is the first time the pope, who is 78, has ever been to the United States. He was born and grew up in Argentina, where he spent the early part of his career in the clergy.

Francis is the first pope from Latin America, and his selection by cardinals in March 2013 is widely seen as a nod to the growing importance of the continent in the future of the church.

He was selected after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI amid declining membership, a long-running sexual abuse scandal, and corruption and infighting among Vatican officials. His popularity soared nearly overnight, thanks to a humble style and an emphasis on serving the poor and the dispossessed.

He eschewed the papal apartment and traditional red velvet footwear in favor of simple living quarters at the Vatican and basic black shoes, and has blessed a beggar by kissing his feet.

Francis remains committed to church doctrine, with its prohibitions on abortion and birth control, gay marriage and women serving in the priesthood.

Still, even on those issues, he has changed the tone of the church, preaching a spirit of forgiveness over condemnation. "Who am I to judge?" he famously said in 2013 while talking to reporters about gay priests.

The last pope to come to the United States was Benedict in 2008. Pope Paul VI visited once in 1965, and Pope John Paul II visited seven times in the 1980s and 1990s.

Francis will also travel to New York and Philadelphia, and will return to Rome on Sunday.

Zarembo reported from Los Angeles and Memoli from Washington, D.C. Times staff writer Christi Parsons in Washington contributed to this report.