President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush flank Pope Benedict XVI as he waves to the crowd from the balcony of the White House today. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press)
Pope Benedict XVI watches the trooping of the colors during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House today. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press)
The president and Laura Bush with Benedict XVI during the pope’s arrival at the South Lawn of the White House. The pope was greeted with a 21-gun salute and a host of dignitaries. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)
Bush and Benedict walk to the Oval Office for a private meeting after the welcoming ceremony today. (Ron Edmonds / Associated Press)
The pontiff greets the crowd at Andrews Air Force Base. His six-day visit to Washington and New York will include talks with President Bush and a speech at the United Nations. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The White House called President Bush’s greeting of the pope’s plane an unprecedented show of deference by the president for a foreign leader. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The pope greets a member of the crowd at Andrews Air Force Base, where about 200 officials and guests turned out. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Immigration and the Iraq war are two of the topics likely to arise when Benedict and Bush hold private talks Wednesday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
On Wednesday, Bush will be host of an official welcoming ceremony for the pope, which is expected to draw as many as 9,000 guests to the White House’s South Lawn. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Benedict and Bush survey the crowd. Groups representing victims of priest sexual abuse have asked the pope to meet with survivors during his visit. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Benedict gazes at a member of the honor guard on hand for his arrival. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
From left, Zabbie Pulian, Maria De Lourdes and Edgar Flores wait along Pennsylvania Avenue to see the pope today in Washington. They came from Dallas. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Pope Benedict XVI arrives at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
A crowd greets the pontiff at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Pope Benedict XVI travels in his bulletproof popemobile down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington today after a visit to the White House. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Police and security agents are between the pope and the crowd lining Pennsylvania Avenue as he travels toward the back to the Apostolic Nunciature, diplomatic mission of the Vatican. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
