48,000+ Gather In Washington To Hear The Pontiff Speak:

WASHINGTON (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI praised America as a land of opportunity and hope Thursday as he celebrated the first public Mass of his U.S. pilgrimage, but he lamented that the nation's promise fell short for Indians and blacks.

But, he said, hope for the future "is very much a part of the American character."

Tens of thousands of worshippers filled Washington Nationals stadium on a clear spring day and cheered Benedict as he arrived in a white popemobile, standing in the back and waving.

WASHINGTON — With a blend of the religious and secular, a fife and drum band and a soprano singing the Lord’s Prayer, President Bush welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to the White House Wednesday morning, telling the pontiff that Americans “need your message that all of life is sacred.”

Some 13,500 people, including senators and other Washington celebrities, crowded the South Lawn for the historic arrival ceremony, conducted under clear, cloudless skies.

The 81-year-old pontiff, who celebrates his birthday on Wednesday, was greeted by the peal of trumpets and a 21-gun salute, and treated to a rendition of “Happy Birthday” by the crowd.