,type=downsize)
Pope Francis made history as he joined President Barack Obamaand First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House on Wednesday, September 22, and Eva Longoria was among the 11,000 cheering guests gathered on the South Lawn towitness it.
Michelle Obama, Pope Francis and Barack Obama at the White House Photo: Getty Images
The former Desperate Housewives actress posted a series ofpics on Instagram documenting the exciting occasion. Two of the pics showed her and her sister Liza, who wasclutching a rosary. "A yr ago I asked my sister Liza 'who do you most wantto meet in the world?' " she wrote. "She said 'the Pope'. And here weare!"
After meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office and appearingon the White House balcony with the president and Michelle, who wore a blackMonique Lhuillier dress, the Pope gave a speech that touched on the issues ofimmigration and climate change, saying that the latter is a problem that"can no longer be left to a future generation."
He also addressed the ongoing debate about gay marriage, sayingthat American Catholics are committed to building "a society which istruly tolerant and inclusive, to safeguarding the rights of individuals andcommunities, and to rejecting every form of unjust discrimination,"while respecting the right to religious liberty.
Pope Francis and President Obama in the Oval Office Photo: Getty Images
Maria Shriver was also at the White House (covering thePope's visit alongside Matt Lauer for NBC), as was her cousin, Robert KennedyJr. and his wife, Cheryl Hines. Both of the Kennedy cousins brought theirchildren.
After his speech the Pope — who has been traveling aroundWashington DC in a black Fiat since his arrival on Tuesday — climbed into aJeep Wrangler Popemobile, complete with a glass-enclosed roof, where he greetedcheering crowds before heading to the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle,where he addressed a gathering of 300 American bishops.
The Pope in the Popemobile Photo: Getty Images
"Ihave not come to judge you or to lecture you," he told them, before stressing theimportance of attending to the needs of immigrants and the poor.
The Pope is in the U.S. for a six-day trip that will alsoincorporate visits to New York City and Philadelphia.