Thousands Gather to Greet Pope at White House

Miguel Lenarduzzi traveled for 24 hours by van from Texas to join more than 13,000 of the faithful from across the US to welcome Pope Benedict XVI to Washington today.

"We made a long trip. We are tired. But our faith is bigger than that. The thousands of people here just want to say hi to the Pope," the 43-year-old waiter said.

With the country in the grip of Pope-mania, about 9,000 gathered on the White House lawn to hear the pontiff. Another 4,000-plus without tickets, like Lenarduzzi, lined the streets outside to sing, pray and catch a glimpse of his motorcade.

The Pope, making his first visit to the US since his election in 2005, was greeted on the White House lawn by President Bush, and given a 21-gun salute and a serenade from a top opera singer.

Spectators sang happy birthday to Benedict — 81 today — who smiled, clasped his hands together and bowed in acknowledgment.

Lenarduzzi, who traveled in a convoy of nine vans from Dallas, had four hours' sleep before getting up early to bag a spot in the street close to the White House. He and his noisy, banner-waving and guitar-playing retinue plan to follow the Pope for the next six days.

The crowds have caught the US by surprise. There had been an expectation that this Pope, only the second to visit the White House, might not generate the same fervor as his predecessor, whose charisma he does not share.Addressing the crowd outside the White House, he delivered a short address in halting, barely audible English. A strong critic of the Iraq war, he avoided any mention of it, or any other reference that might embarrass his host.

Instead, he concentrated on saying he had "great respect for this vast pluralistic society". He ended with a call of "God bless America".

The only remark in any way critical was a call to support the UN, a target of the Bush administration. The Pope called for support "for the patient efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote progress."

In stark contrast, Bush used the occasion to make several explicit political points. He declared that the visit was a reminder to Americans to "distinguish between simple right and wrong". He added: "We need your message to reject this dictatorship of relativism and embrace a culture of justice and truth."

Bush told the pontiff that in America "you'll find a nation that welcomes the role of religion in the public square" and that "in a world where some evoke the name of God to justify acts of terror and murder and hate, we need your message that God is love. And embracing this love is the surest way to save man from falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism".

At a private meeting afterwards, Bush presented him with a birthday cake. The Pope, as he had promised, then raised the Iraq war and his concern for the treatment of illegal immigrants in the US, who make up an estimated 12 million to 20 million of the population, most of them Latino.

Back on Pennsylvania Avenue, decked out in the red, white and blue of the US and the yellow and white flag of the Holy See, was another who had traveled a long way, Alex Bengoa, 33, an IT manager from New Orleans.

He is sleeping with 300 others in a gym provided by a parish on the outskirts of the city. He too will follow the Pope to New York but did not know where he would stay: "In New York, the Lord will provide."

Dancing and singing behind him was Kevin Waymel, 26, who traveled from San Francisco with 80 others, the youngest of whom was 12 and the oldest in her 60s, a mixture of Latinos, Anglos and African-Americans.

He said his faith had helped get him off drugs and he wanted to "come to show support for the Holy Father".

There were few public protests. About 200 people held banners objecting to various aspects of Catholic orthodoxy, as well as the sexual abuse scandal.

Bush is set to hold a dinner in honor of the Pope at the White House tonight, with a menu heavy on Bavarian food. But it will be a dinner with the guest of honor missing. The Pope has chosen to spend the evening with his bishops.