Faithful Catholics are praying for Pope Benedict XVI's safe arrival at Andrews Air Force base as the Supreme Pontiff begins his first visit to the U.S. since he was chosen to lead the Catholic church in 2005.
The Pope is scheduled to land at 4:00 p.m. He will be greeted by President Bush (web|news|bio) and First Lady Laura Bush during a brief welcoming ceremony. Pope Benedict will then travel by motorcade to the Apostolic Nunciature at the Vatican's Embassy in Northwest.
The U.S. Scret Service has not announced which route Pope Benedict XVI's motorcade will take from Andrews Air Force into the District. The spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service, Malcolm Wiley, said there will be "rolling street closures."
One thing residents can count on, there will be no parking near the Nunciature on both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Ave. from 8:00 p.m. Monday night until Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. Also, traffic will be cut down to one lane each way on Massachusetts between 34th and Observatory circle.
Click here for a complete rundown of road closures.
Many people gathered Monday night at the Catholic University to pray. Across the university and around town, workers were busily preparing for the Pope.
A papal arrival is a perk for people like Ean Follett from California, "I'm a Catholic, so seeing the Pope, it's going to be awesome!"
But the arrival poses a problem for others. Kate Vichvich from Minnesota said she'll stay out of town, "All that extra hoopla around, it's good to avoid it." Tim Sullivan from Northwest D.C. said he's used to traffic in the area, "like the presidential motorcade."
What local residents are not used to is a week of parking and driving restrictions that may be unpredictable. Barricades are up on Massachusetts, just across from the Apostolic Nunciature in Northwest.
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