'Sweet' holiday in Washington as Pope visits

By Kareem Haruna (in Washington, USA)
(as partly published in LEADERSHIP - 25th September, 2015) 

A street of Washington 

Public workers in Washington, the capital of the United State of America had to take unofficial public holiday because the anticipated heavy traffic that occasioned the official visit of the Pope Francis had prevented many from getting  to their offices,  this Blog reports.  

But it  turned out a sweet holiday for most of the workers who would rather stay at home for one day and be spared of the hassles of spending their time held in traffic, than even coming out to catch a glimpse of the visiting pontiff. 

“Many workers are happy - not because Washington is playing host to the Holy See, for the first time in many years, but because it gives them a sudden holiday to relax at home than to go through the usual stress caused by such presidential activities in the monumental capital", said Betty a mall attendant. 

Pope Francis is the first pontiff to have hailed from the Americas. 

It has been anticipated that the official visit of the Pope may beat the usual gridlocks that most of President Barrack Obama’s public functions cause in the country’s capital. 

Electronic bill boards had days before Tuesday 22nd September begun to warn residents in the city to expect heavier traffic downtown as there would be presidential function. 

US President Obama welcomes Pope Francis

The Blogger who is in Washington to participate in the Reporting Tour of USA on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) alongside journalists from other countries, may also have to put off some of their Wednesday appointments especially at the Department of States office where they were billed to meet officials for talks on CVE. 

“We doubt if the Department of State would be opened Wednesday because workers there may have to stay at home due to the visit of the Pope”, said Doris Robinson of the International Media Centre Washington. 

September 23rd, President Obama hosted the Pope to a State Arrival Ceremony at exactly 9:15 a.m on the  South Lawn of the White House. 

After the State Arrival Ceremony, Pope Francis will be recorded in history as the third Catholic Pope to have ever visited the white house as he is to have private meeting with President Barack Obama after delivering his speech. 

The Pope would be at the Capitol, the US’s seat of Parliament where he is expected to address a joint meeting of the US Congress at 10 a.m, following an honoured invitation made by Speaker John Boehner. 

Pope Francis’ visit to Washington would be the 8th time in the catholic history for the Vatican to Visit Washington or any part of the American soil. 

Sussan Markham of the USAID and journalists on CVE Reporting Tour
watch the TV at the IPC as Obama welcomes Pope Francis
to Washington on Tuesday

It was on record that Pope John Paul II was the first to make history on October 6th, 1979 as the reigning pope to pay a visit to the White House during the time of President Jimmy Carter. President Carter was said to have held a private meeting with the pope in the Oval Office. 

The White House had not hosted the holy pontiff again until 30 years later when Pope Benedict XVI paid a visit to the White House in Washington D.C . That visit was said to be most unique because President George Bush and a crowd of over 13,000, amazed the Pope by singing happy-birthday to him as his visit to White House coincided with his birthday. President Bush presented a birthday cake to the Pope after a 21-gun salute. 

Though the Vatican seems less keen about visiting the White House, records have shown that the two had interfaced both in Rome and some parts of the USA for only 25 occasions since January the 4th, 1919 when President Woodrow Wilson visited Pope Benedict XV in Vatican City.