The White House plans to roll out the white carpet, so to speak, for Pope Francis’ visit later this month.
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will take the unusual and deferential step of greeting the pontiff at Andrews Air Force Base when his plane arrives on Sept. 22.
The White House acknowledged that Obama greeting a foreign leader as he touches down in the Washington area is definitely rare.
“It is not necessarily routine for the president to greet the foreign leader at Andrews,” White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz told reporters Wednesday.
There is a precedent for Obama’s decision. President George W. Bush met Pope Benedict at Andrews in 2008.
The day after the pope arrives, Sept. 23, he will visit the White House before addressing a joint session of Congress, and then will speak on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, complete with JumboTron screens to provide live views.
