Pope Francis is in New York where he'll make an address to the United Nations later today.
He's in the midst of a 6-day visit to the United States, and yesterday made history…becoming the first Pope ever to address a joint meeting of the Senate and the House of Representatives in Washington.
Our US Correspondent Simon Marks is covering the Pope's visit.
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You wouldn't want to be the Chinese President Xi Jinping today.
He landed in Washington last night for the start of a state visit here, in a city that has been utterly entranced by by Pope Francis.
The Pope has soaked up the kind of media attention and attracted the kind of crowds that are usually reserved only for the British Royal Family.
And his speech on Capitol Hill yesterday was uncompromising…calling on members of Congress to join the campaign for the abolition of the death penalty….to do more to combat climate change….to end the global trade in weapons….and to treat immigrants on both sides of the Atlantic humanely.
He called Europe's migrant crisis the greatest challenge the Continent has faced since World War Two.
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This was the first time any Pope has ever addressed a joint meeting of Congress….and Pope Francis is the first Pope from the Americas.
Some Republicans - including three Supreme Court justices - boycotted the speech, one of them saying that if the Pope wants to behave like a "leftist" then he should expected to be treated like one.
But his policy prescriptions were challenging not only for Republicans but for Democrats alike.
There are plenty of those on Capitol Hill who, for example, support the death penalty.
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Within minutes, the White House spokesman was asked whether President Obama will now campaign for the death penalty's abolition - it is, after all, on the federal government's statute books in addition to those of 31 of America's 50 states.
He could only say that the President had no new policy on the issue to announce.
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But by then, the Pope was heading to New York for Friday's speech at the United Nations, the applause of Washingtonians ringing in his ears.
Even if Congress ignores his proposals, lawmakers know that America's 70 million Catholics
are listening…and each has a vote.
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