President and Mrs. Bush were on hand to greet Pope Benedict when he arrived at Andrews Air Force base yesterday. As the pontiff’s chartered plane, dubbed Shepherd One, touched down, bells rang out at Washington’s Catholic Basilica.

There are many messages we are likely to hear from the Pope this week, both related to the church and to the world at large. Religious faithful are wondering what the pontiff might have to say about Catholic teachings, while the rest of the world is watching to see what he’ll say to the President about the war in Iraq.

It was an unprecedented welcome, with the President greeting a foreign dignitary at the airport rather than at the White House. At the carefully choreographed event, neither man spoke publicly, but on the plane ride across the Atlantic, the Pope candidly addressed the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the church.

"Really this has been a great suffering for the church in the United States and for me personally that this could happen. It is difficult for me to understand how it was possible that priests betray in this way their mission … to these children. I am deeply ashamed and we will do what is possible so this cannot happen again in the future."
Pope Benedict XVI

Security for the Pope will be intense as twenty-seven local, state and federal agencies are coordinating their efforts. A popemobile was shipped over weeks ago just so they could practice. Jeff Irvine U.S. Secret Service explained "every security aspect that you’ve ever been exposed to will be deployed and quite frankly quite a few that you’ve never seen deployed."

The Pope has come to the U.S. mostly to preach the gospel, but many expect him to scold the President over the war in Iraq. "Well of course we are hoping that he will turn to him and say I told you so," confided Father Thomas Reese, Georgetown University. And he has his work cut out with American Catholics who are strongly independent.

Although he spoke about it already on the plane, it’s almost certain the Pope will again speak about the sexual abuse scandal that ruined so many lives and cost the church $2 billion in legal settlements.