A few of the friars were able to obtain tickets to the South Lawn of the White House of the official visit of Pope Benedict XVI to President and Mrs. George Bush. On a beautifully clear day in Washington, thousands were gathered to see the Pope on his first full day in America, which was also his 81st birthday. The program began with the playing of Honors, both “Ruffles and Flourishes” and the traditional “Hail to the Chief” to welcome the President. Afterwards, the President and Mrs. Bush officially greeted the Holy Father. Following that was a sonorous 21-Gun Salute welcome the Pope, followed by the playing the National Anthems of the Holy See and the United States. One of the musical high points was the singing of The Lord’s Prayer by Kathleen Battle to harp accompaniment. Then came remarks by the President and the Holy Father. The ceremony was concluded by the singing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic by the military choir. To see a slideshow of pictures from the event, click on the image above.

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