Pope Benedict XVI delivers a message to thousands of invited guests Wednesday, April 16, 2008, on the South Lawn of the White House.

President George W. Bush and Pope Benedict XVI stand together during the playing of the National Anthem at the Pope’s welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House Wednesday, April 16, 2008.

Washington -- President Bush welcomed Pope Benedict XVI on the South Lawn of the White House April 16 in one of the largest arrival ceremonies ever held at the White House, saying Americans are “open to your message of hope.”

The sunny spring day was also Pope Benedict’s 81st birthday. His April 15-20 visit to Washington and New York is his first trip to the United States as pope.

The arrival ceremony was followed by a meeting between the president and Pope Benedict in the Oval Office. A joint statement said that among the issues discussed were advancing peace in the Middle East, alleviating poverty, especially in Africa, and supporting human rights and religious freedom.

During the welcome ceremony, Pope Benedict said he came to the United States “as a friend, a preacher of the Gospel, and one with great respect for this vast, pluralistic society.”

He said he looks forward to meeting “not only with America's Catholic community, but with other Christian communities and representatives of the many religious traditions present in this country.”

“Historically, not only Catholics, but all believers have found here the freedom to worship God in accordance with the dictates of their conscience, while at the same time being accepted as part of a commonwealth in which each individual group can make its voice heard,” he added.

President Bush said many Americans “have traveled from across the country to see you and to share in the joy of this visit.” He called America a nation of prayer and of compassion.

“Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people whose hearts are open to your message of hope,” Bush said.

Pope Benedict is only the second pontiff to visit the White House -- the first was Pope John Paul II, in 1979.

Along with the national anthems of the United States and the Holy See, music during the ceremony included “The Lord’s Prayer,” sung by soprano Kathleen Battle, and “Happy Birthday,” sung by the more than 9,000 people in attendance. The ceremony also was punctuated with a 21-gun salute.

The day before, President and Mrs. Bush greeted Pope Benedict at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. It was the first time the president has greeted a foreign dignitary there. A crowd of Catholic students and others greeted the pope on the tarmac and, later, crowds lined streets in Washington as the pope was taken to the Vatican Embassy.

The pope, who will meet with Catholic cardinals, bishops and other religious and academic leaders, also is holding two interfaith gatherings. On April 17, he will meet with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews and representatives of other religions at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, next door to Catholic University in Washington, where he will discuss how religions can work for peace. On April 18, in New York, the pope will hold a prayer service with leaders from other Christian denominations at St. Joseph's Church in Manhattan.

For the public, the highlight of the pope’s visit will be two papal Masses. About 46,000 people will join Pope Benedict in celebrating Mass at Nationals Park, a new baseball stadium in Washington, and 57,000 will attend Mass at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York.

On April 18, the pope will address the United Nations General Assembly, linking the visit to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

There are more than 69 million Catholics in the United States, accounting for 24 percent of the population; they are the single largest religious group in America. There are an estimated 1 billion Catholics worldwide. (See “U.S. Religious Landscape Is Marked by Diversity and Change.”)

A transcript of President Bush’s and Pope Benedict’s remarks and their joint statement are available on the White House Web site.

See also Diversity-At Worship.