U.S. President George W. Bush greeted Pope Benedict XVI as he arrived in Washington D.C. on April 15, the first time he has gone to the airport to meet an incoming dignitary.

The pope's six-day visit includes a United Nations address, masses in baseball stadiums and meetings with Catholic educators and leaders of other religions.

Upon his arrival, the pope declared himself "deeply ashamed" by a sexual abuse scandal that broke in 2002, tarnishing the Roman Catholic Church's image in the United States.