Pope Francis

The ceremony for the Chinese leader looks similar to the one the White House held Wednesday for Pope Francis, but with a few notable exceptions.

When the pontiff called on Congress to take "courageous action" on climate change, he also talked about the role he sees for technology in the world, quoting a papal encyclical published earlier this year.

“We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology,” Francis said, “to devise intelligent ways of developing and limiting our power, and to put technology at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral."

Francis made a last round of greetings and selfies with Washington-area students, pausing to pat a little girl's face and touch boys' heads as he made his way to the black Fiat carrying him to Andrews Air Force Base.

He will fly to Kennedy Airport, where his greeting party includes Cardinal Timothy Dolan and 200 indigent people.

Francis' plans Thursday evening include a motorcade along Fifth Avenue and a vespers service at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

It has been the trip of a lifetime for Catire Walker and Noel Zemborain, who quit their respective jobs in food service and marketing to lead their four children on an unforgettable tour of the Americas.

Their destination: The World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, a Vatican-sponsored conference designed to strengthen family bonds. Pope Francis will close the event at a Saturday night festival and celebrate a public Mass the following day.

Referencing the migration crisis in Europe as well as the United States' own struggle with immigration from Latin America, Francis summoned lawmakers "to respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal."

"We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best as we can to their situation," Francis urged.

Clutching a yellow T-shirt and a note about immigration, she was someplace she wasn't supposed to be. The uniformed security officer and another in a suit coming toward her probably seemed intimidating. It wasn't until Francis himself motioned to her that she relented and let a security agent carry her to side of the open-air Jeep.

Standing in the popemobile, the pope did what this pope so often does: He gave her a hug and kiss. And Cruz made sure she stuck around long enough to give the pope the shirt and her message.

Apple has warned that Pope Francis's impending visit to New York could stop the city's residents receiving their iPhone 6S pre-orders in time for this Friday's launch.

With traffic restrictions being placed on the bustling city during the pontiff's stay, it is expected that couriers will be unable to meet all delivery needs on the day.

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests said bishops had displayed "cowardice and callousness" in response to victims who came forward. The group said they "hide behind expensive lawyers and public relations professionals" instead of fully confronting the scope of the problem within the church.

Anne Barrett Doyle is co-director of BishopAccountability.org, an advocacy group that collects records on abusive priests from around the world. She calls the pope's remarks "distressing and quite off-base."

President Barack Obama, in turn, hailed the pontiff as a moral force who is "shaking us out of our complacency" with reminders to care for the poor and the planet.

The White House mustered all the pageantry it had to offer as the pope arrived Wednesday before adoring crowds of thousands and a nation that seemingly cannot get enough of the humble pontiff who is rejuvenating American Catholicism while giving heartburn to some of its conservatives.