Jesuit Could Have Said Alot Of Different Things About The Holy Father And George W. Bush

It's the first time that Bush has left the White House to greet a foreign dignitary, and the first official papal visit to the United States since the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the United States and the Vatican 24 years ago. "

Obviously, it shows the deep respect that the president has for the pope and also the recognition that there's a lot of Catholic voters out there," said Father Thomas Reese, a Jesuit

and senior fellow at Georgetown University's Woodstock Theological Center. Walking on a red carpet, the president warmly greeted the pope shaking his hand after he emerged from his plane, nicknamed Shepherd One. As he was getting into the back of his limousine, the crowd at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland sang a few bars of 'Happy Birthday' to the pope, who turns 81 on Wednesday.

Link to the full ABC News article (here)