Washington: Pope Francis arrived on Capitol Hill Thursday ahead of his historic speech to US lawmakers, the first time the leader of the Roman Catholic Church has addressed a joint meeting of Congress.
The 78-year-old Argentine pontiff was greeted by Republican House Speaker John Boehner, who is Catholic. Thousands of people gathered on the West Lawn of the Capitol in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Francis after the speech.
"Your Holiness, welcome," Boehner said.
Vice President Joe Biden, cabinet members and Supreme Court Justices were also in attendance for the highly-anticipated speech.
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