By Catherine Brack | WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, September 23, His Holiness Pope Francis was welcomed by President and Mrs. Obama to the White House. When a friend offered tickets to attend the ceremony, we jumped at the chance.
A long time Washington, D.C. resident, I have had a few opportunities to go to the White House, but mainly as a tourist gawking at the stunning holiday décor. Often, the logistics of going to a White House event are so cumbersome that they din the glow of the invitation.
But when in my lifetime would I get to see the Pope in my own back yard? The last time the Pope visited Washington, Jimmy Carter was in office, and I was in elementary school. And while I am not Catholic, I did put in my time for six years at the Marist School, and I immediately understood the rarity of this opportunity to get a glimpse of the Pope.
Glimpse is the operative word here. 15,000 people are hard to assemble on the South Lawn of the White House, and we were herded like farm animals from one line to the next. Just to give you an idea of the schedule:
- 3:30 a.m. Wake Up;
- 4:30 a.m. Leave for White House via Uber;
- 4:50 a.m. Arrive, 15th Street Gate (very long line);
- 5:20 a.m. The line begins to move. Walk to H Street, NW, to have tickets scanned. Queue for security;
- 6:10 a.m. Security cleared. Walk on East side of the White House to the South Lawn;
- 9:20 a.m. Ceremony begins.
You read that correctly. There is a three hour and ten minute gap where we were on the South Lawn, standing and waiting, with nothing to do but talk to those nearby or fiddle with a phone. We had a terrific spot, up close as the photos show, but with one challenge – television cameras. I would bet that everyone reading this who watched the ceremony on television or online had a FAR better view of the Pope and the President than I did.
At the end of it all, though, that really didn’t matter. The Pope, who delivered his remarks in English to an enthusiastic crowd waving both American and Vatican flags, was the embodiment of speaking softly while carrying a big stick, or in his case, staff. He remarked on climate change; he touched on worldwide humanitarian crises; and he invoked the words and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And it was this – his reference to Dr. King – that brought the event home for me. This is a thoughtful, learned Pope who took the time to study our country, our history and our struggles and was able to merge that with the mission of his church and followers.
And, in spite of the television cameras, when he retreated to the interior of the White House, I did get my glimpse of the Pope, which made the early alarm and hours of standing completely and 100 percent worth the effort.
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