Pope Francis touched down in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday for his first-ever trip to the United States. The six-day journey will take the Jesuit pontiff to the White House, Capitol Hill, the United Nations, and a correctional facility, too.
Francis, who New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has called “the leading progressive voice in the world today,” has taken the Roman Catholic Church to the left on contentious social issues during his brief tenure as pope. His scheduled visits, which also include audiences with the nation’s refugees, prisoners, and homeless populations, could signal that he will deal with a wide range of progressive issues including capital punishment, climate change, and immigration.
Where will Pope Francis make news? Here’s a diary of his journey, as told by msnbc’s reporters and producers on the ground in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Philadelphia:
Joseph Neese