President Bush promises Pope Benedict a Rose Garden

Mark Silva at a Baltimore Sun blog (helped by Charlie Spiering of the National Catholic Register:

The White House is promising the Pope the Rose Garden.

The Bush administration is organizing a "unique'' Rose Garden ceremony as it finalizes plans for the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI next week. "There is great excitement throughout the staff regardless of one’s religious affiliation,” says White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin. “This is a very special day.”

Hagin, together with Anita Bride, the first lady's chief of staff, held a roundtable discussion with members of faith-based media to give an inside look at the White House preparations. “As a Catholic,'' McBride said, "this is an enormous honor for me and a privilege to work on some small aspect of this visit.''

The staff has prepared a ceremony that reflects the usual details reserved for heads of state, together with “very appropriate and warm additions.” McBride notes that nearly 10,000 people will attend the ceremony surrounding the pope's arrival on the South Lawn on Wednesday.

...

Following the Rose Garden ceremony, the President and the Holy Father will hold a private meeting in the White House, lasting perhaps 45 minutes. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone will also meet separately during the papal visit.

It's good timing - the weather just broke here in DC (and hopefully it holds).