Pope Francis arrives in the United States
Pope Francis arrived on Tuesday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, kicking off his first ever visit to the United States.
President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Jill Biden were all there to greet him, in a rather unusual display of pomp and circumstance at Andrews.
An excited crowd of Catholic dignitaries and local Catholic schoolchildren were also there to greet Francis. Waiting for the pope to step off his plane, the crowd erupted into cheers such as, "Ho ho, hey hey, we love Pope Francis every day!"
CBS News' Chip Reid reports that, unlike most dignitaries, who travel in limos or massive, armored SUVs, the pope left the airport in a modest Fiat, waving to the crowd from the back seat, a boyish grin on his face.
Arriving at the Vatican Embassy in Washington, known as the Nunciature, his home for the next two days, Pope Francis was greeted by children from local Catholic schools.
Francis is 78 years old, but Reid says you'd never know it. He never stops. His schedule in Washington is jam-packed.
Earlier in the day, when asked about the warm welcome for Francis, White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said the pope had "really struck a chord in people, not just across the United States, but around the world... He serves as a source of inspiration, not just for Catholics, but people of, frankly, all religions around the world."
The rest of the first family -- Malia and Sasha Obama, as well as Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson -- were also on the tarmac at Andrews to welcome the pontiff. Two of the Bidens' grandchildren were also there, as were several Catholic officials.
Maryland's DeMatha Catholic High School wind ensemble band was ready to greet Francis with some pop tunes and motown.
"It's a big deal," Waverly Harris, 15, said of playing percussion for the pope's arrival. He lamented that the band only had, at most, four weeks to practice. "It's a lot less time than what we have for any of our normal concerts -- and to come out here for one of the world's biggest leaders."
The Vatican selected four children in first, third, fifth and seventh grades from different Catholic schools to greet the Holy Father, and one presented him flowers.
Francis immediately traveled to the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C., which is effectively the Vatican's embassy. He had no other public events Tuesday.
CBS News' Bill Plante reports that for centuries, pope's were carried on the shoulders of the faithful. And Pope Francis has his own unique mode of transportation for his U.S. visit.
Plante explains it was Pius XI who added motorized vehicles to the papal fleet. In 1930, Mercedes-Benz gave him a converted limousine. A Lincoln Continental was used for the first papal visit to the U.S. in 1965.
But after the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, everything changed.
"The immediate reaction was to close," explained Andreas Widmer, a former member of the Swiss Guard, which protects the pope. "They put the armored vehicle, glass around the popemobile and everything."
Pope John Paul II didn't care for the name "popemobile," he thought it was undignified. But soon, wherever the pope went, you could find a popemobile. And popes have often chaffed at the security measures. Pope Francis has called the popemobile, "a glass sardine can."
"The security for the pope has to optimize his security while not hindering his ministry," said Widmer. "Because if you don't let the pope do his ministry, he's not the pope anymore."
So the popemobile Francis will use on this trip is much like the one he used in Ecuador earlier this year; a specially-built Jeep Wrangler -- open and unarmored. That might keep security officials up at night, but not the pope.
He told an interviewer, "It's true that anything could happen," but he added, "Let's face it, at my age, I don't have much to lose."
CBS News' Reena Flores contributed to this report.
