Pope Francis Makes Historic Visit to the U.S.

From ABC News' Veronica Stracqualursi in Washington D.C.:

The Pope may be a little homesick. After touching down in the U.S. today, Pope Francis left Joint Base Andrews not in a limo -- but in the Italian-made Fiat.

Once he exited the informally named “Shepherd One” plane, greeted President Obama and his family, and walked down the red carpet, Pope Francis hopped into a simple black Fiat 500 and waved to the crowd as he drove away. The Pope drove to where he'll be staying in Washington D.C. -- the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to the United States.

The car bore a small Vatican City flag with the license plate -- “SCV 1,” the initials for Status Civitatis Vaticanae, which is Latin for Vatican City State.

Read the full article here.

From ABC News' Meridith McGraw:

Pope Francis, the first Hispanic head of the Catholic Church, will canonize the first Hispanic, Junipero Serra, during a special mass held at the National Basilica on Wednesday.

But the ceremony will not be without controversy.

Serra, a Franciscan monk who worked to evangelize the California coast during the 18th century, has been criticized for using coercive force and corporal punishment on Native Americans.

Steven Hackel, a history professor at the University of California, Riverside, says Serra’s use of corporal punishment was even controversial at the time. It was believed that physical punishment should not be dispensed by Franciscans or missionaries but rather by the state when someone committed a crime. Native American groups have protested Serra’s canonization, saying that Serra enslaved and abused their ancestors.

“There’s a sense of loss and despair over what those missions meant” to Native Americans, said Hackel.

Read the full story here.

Our live stream showing the South Lawn in the run up to Pope Francis' visit is up and running. Watch it here:

The "pope mobile" is on the move! Pope Francis is en route to the White House.

Order of the anthems: The national anthem of the Holy See was played first, followed by the American national anthem, with Pope Francis and President Obama standing next to one another on the South Lawn podium.

"And yet, I believe the excitement around your visit must be attributed not only to your role as pope, but to your unique qualities as a person," President Obama said just now. "In your humility, your embrace of simplicity, the gentleness of your words and the generosity of your spirit, we see a living example of Jesus’ teachings, a leader whose moral authority comes not just through words but also through deeds."

Big moment on climate change as part of Pope Francis' speech:

"Mr. President, I find it encouraging that you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution. Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation," the pontiff said.

Now singing: The St. Augustine Gospel Choir from Washington, D.C.

The choir, made up of 17 people today, is singing "Total Praise," while Pope Francis and President Obama sit and smile towards them.

St. Augustine Church is called "the Mother Church of African American Catholics" in D.C.