Obama Pope Francis Meeting Photos: During Washington DC Visit, Pontiff Makes White House Tour

Pope Frances has a tight schedule planned for his visit to the United States, and meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama is certainly on that list. They've been planning the visit for months now, and the two world leaders are expected to discuss Wednesday a variety of issues the two men care deeply about, from climate change to poverty.

The pope landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly after 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, and was greeted to cheers and chants from a crowd on the tarmac. Obama made his way down the long red carpet that extended from the staircase that was wheeled up to the plane.

As the pope made his way down a long line of Catholic Church officials, Obama and the first family followed close behind. As Obama and the pope talked, Obama laughed at comments made by his holiness.

When Frances landed in Maryland Tuesday afternoon, it marked the first time that the religious leader had visited the United States. He is on an extended trip that began in Cuba, where he was coming from. The Vatican played an important role in facilitating a thaw in relations between Washington and Havana that was announced last year.

While in Washington, the pope will visit the president at the White House, deliver a speech to a jointly held session of Congress and visit a local cathedral where he will speak to homeless people during lunchtime. Obama has said that he expects to discuss poverty and climate change when they meet at the White House Wednesday.

From there, the Pope will then travel to New York City, where he will participate in a tour through Central Park and deliver a speech to the United Nations. His final stop will be in Philadelphia before returning to Rome.