Pope Francis was greeted by Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and their families, when he arrived from Cuba at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, outside Washington DC, on Tuesday afternoon.
Pope Francis
78-year-old Catholic leader smiled and waved to dignitaries, clerics and schoolchildren eager to welcome him to the US, before being driven away in a small black Fiat. Many have viewed his choice of vehicle as a gesture of humility, and hope that it foreshadows an address on climate change and environmental issues.
Other issues many progressives are hoping the Argentinian pope will address include poverty, income inequality, immigration reform and capital punishment, while conservatives expect Pope Francis to reinforce the church's opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion.
The Pope's historic visit will include talks at the White House, Congress, the United Nations, and public crowds in Washington, New York and Philadelphia. He is also scheduled to hold cathedral masses and visit a school in Harlem and a prison in Philadelphia.
Bishop Christopher Coyne, of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, told the Guardian that he doubts the pope will address controversial political issues, as he is "not a politician", but a "leader of a faith".
However, Coyne added that Francis is sometimes spontaneous and unpredictable: "But you never know. He's a man of strong opinions who often surprises us with them," he said.