Obama offers pope warm White House welcome

Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis to the White House on Wednesday -- the first black US president hailing the first pontiff from the Americas as a unique moral authority. The South Lawn of the White House echoed to the strains of the Pontifical Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner and a thundering 21-gun salute, as Washingtonians thronged the streets for the historic visit. An inspiration to many of America's 70 million Catholics, Francis is also a potential political ally for Obama, sharing many o