When Pope Francis arrived at the White House to be feted by President Barrack Obama, Vicky Gene Robinson was not the only bishop in attendance. There were Catholic priests, nuns, bishops, and cardinals scattered among the 14,000 who were chosen to help welcome the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church to America.

Both MSNBC and CNN turned to Bishop Robinson for his take on the unfolding Catholic events.

On Tuesday, while the Pope was winging his way to the United States, MSNBC corralled Bishop Robinson and former Catholic Charity president Tiziana Dearing for their take on the "evolution of the Pope and the Catholic Church."

Bishop Robinson noted that it was a great honor to be a part of the official welcoming ceremony heralding Pope Francis' first trip to the United States. But he hoped that the Roman Pontiff would "speak truth to power."

"We learned this phrase in seminary that the mission of a priest is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable," Bishop Robinson explained. "I think Francis is much beloved for the afflicted. It will be very interesting to see, however, if he speaks truth to power either at the White House or in Congress."

The Episcopal bishop pinioned that Pope Francis did not speak truth to power while in Cuba because the Pope was faced with a more delicate situation pastorally and diplomatically than what he will face in the US.

"I think he will come here and speak about income inequality, a sustainable environment, and in taking care of the planet in ways that will actually be quite challenging for us," the Episcopal bishop theorized.

Ms. Daring noted that the Pope was coming to the United States with a "Pope's perspective," but that the American people would be "receiving him with all kinds of agendas and lenses of their own."

Robinson hoped that Francis would address the American immigration situation.

"I don't see how with his sensitivity and care for the dispossessed and the marginalized," Robinson prefaced, "I just don't see how he can come to America at this point in our lives and not address the immigration situation here and the 11 million undocumented we have in this country."

Pope Francis, having been born in Argentina, is a native Spanish speaker. When he became Pope in 2013, he did not speak English but has worked hard to learn the language enough to give speeches and sermons in it. While in the United States, he is to make four of his addresses in English; the rest will be spoken in Spanish.

"Hispanic Catholics are among the most positive about their feelings about this Pope," Robinson explained. "So to have a Spanish-speaking Pope deliver many of his addresses in Spanish will be very important to that segment of his flock."

"I think it is fantastic that he is speaking both in English and Spanish," said Ms. Dearing noting that the Pope is a bridge builder who can span across the divide of different interests by meeting people where they are. "He's inviting a large group of people into the values of the Catholic Church whether they are Catholic or not ... I think it is wonderful."

Following Pope Francis' White House welcome, Chris Cuomo nailed Bishop Robinson on the South Lawn of the White House.

"You are controversial, sir," Cuomo flatly stated. "Do you feel that way, and what do you think it is about?"

"I didn't feel very controversial standing in the middle of 15,000 people -- far, far away from the Pope," Robinson replied. "I was honored and humbled to be invited, to be here at the White House, to help welcome the Pope. But the controversy, I think, was a bit of a tempest in a teapot."

Cuomo then challenged Robinson about the media storm surrounding his invitation and the Vatican's push back and concern about photo ops that could negatively reflect on the integrity of the Pope or the teaching of the Church.

Bishop Robinson responded stating that he "never expected to personally meet the Pope." He was left wondering, "who stirred up" the media feeding frenzy, thinking that it might have been some "conservative Catholic groups" who are trying to undermine the "ministry" that the Pope has shown gays.

He called the media firestorm, a "kerkuffle."

"We disagree on that [gay] issue, of course," Robinson noted. "But that's OK. I can still pray for him and I can still love him as the great leader he is."

In fact on Saturday, Robinson penned an open letter to Pope Francis in the "Daily Beast," an Internet political news organization where he is a frequent columnist focusing on LGBT issues.

"I pray for you every day, because your pastoral responsibility is so daunting, and even if you are Pope, you are still only human," he writes. "We disagree in our understandings about sexuality and the diverse and wonderful ways God has made us. But as far as I am concerned, that does not keep me from admiring you and praying for you and your ministry."

Robinson also considers the Pope to be his "brother bishop."

"I have had the opportunity to be chief pastor and bishop to a faithful flock (albeit so very much smaller than yours), and it is an awesome responsibility," he penned in his column tagged "Brothers."
"It is also a blessing and an honor to serve, is it not?"

"There has been a bit of a kerfuffle in the last 24 hours due to reports that a senior Vatican official is offended, on your behalf, by my invitation to the White House on Wednesday to welcome you to America," he wrote to Pope Francis. "Based on your saintly ministry so far as Pope, I have to suspect that this report does not represent your own views (if this has even been brought to your attention), but rather the views of those who would try to 'protect' you from the world."

Robinson told CNN that the White House event was "America's welcome to the Pope, and as far as I can tell this crowd represented America."

"Were I ever to have the honor of meeting you, I would, of course, not be the first gay man or gay bishop with whom you have had contact," Robinson wrote to Francis. "Some of them, undoubtedly, work with and for you in the Vatican. Based on your demonstrated and notorious compassion, I suspect you will not be offended by a gay bishop ... somewhere in the crowd of 10,000 admirers."

As a part of his address, the Pope mentioned that he would be eventually travelling to Philadelphia for the Eighth World Meeting of Families, which is being held to "celebrate and support the institutions of marriage and the family at this, a critical moment in the history of our civilization."

Cuomo reminded Robinson that gay marriage has no place in that discussion as Pope Francis supports traditional marriage and the nuclear family.

"I understand that that's where he and the Roman Catholic Church is right now. Although, I must say...a majority of lay Catholics [57%] favor gay marriage," the Episcopal bishop noted. "So, there's a -- there's this disconnect between the hierarchical leadership and the people in the pews -- because they know us. They know our families. We are their sons and daughters. So this is not something out of the laity's realm of experience. It is out of the realm of the Pope's experience."

Cuomo, the son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and brother of current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, is a Catholic. He was quick to point out that a majority of lay Episcopalians do not accept gay marriage, even though General Convention has given its approval of the practice. Robinson just ignored him.

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline

FOOTNOTE: This is a new story. We regrettably published the same story twice. VOL apologizes to its readers.