Pope Francis's first visit to the White House next week is shaping up to be a doozy, as President Obama has arranged for several opponents of traditional Catholic teaching to be among those greeting the pontiff.

Francis is known for his tolerance, having urged Catholics against condemning those with non-traditional lifestyles such as homosexuals and pro-choice advocates.

But this may test even Francis's famous papal patience.

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Seventy-eight-year-old Pope Francis - pictured here at Vatican City on Thursday - will visit New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. next week on his inaugural trip to America

Francis has become well-known for a softer approach to thorny social issues facing the Catholic church

The list of guests at a reception for the pontiff include a pro-choice nun, a transgender woman and an openly gay Episcopal bishop -- plus multiple gay activists who identify as Catholics, according to Breitbart.

Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has walked a fine line between maintaining the Catholic Church's traditional views opposing homosexuality and abortion and promoting celibacy for priests.

But in small but significant ways, he has also made headlines by avoiding judgment of such people worldwide, and urging Catholics to do the same.

He has also embraced non-traditional causes for a pontiff, such as anti-consumerism, income inequality and climate change.

The invitees next week include retired Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson, who is considered the first openly gay Episcopal bishop - who also divorced his partner last year after previously divorcing his wife.

President Obama and Pope Francis last met in a private visit at the Vatican in March 2014, but this time around the pontiff will be on US soil at the White House

Obama is planning to extend some unusual courtesies to Francis, such as a plane-side greeting by himself and First Lady Michelle Obama. Francis will address Congress the day after his White House visit

Robinson is a frequent attendee of Obama administration events, however, such as a role in the the National Prayer Breakfast last year.

Francis has endorsed the Catholic church principle that homosexuality is 'intrinsically immoral,' but has also avoided judgment of it - so much so that the pro-LGBT American magazine The Advocate named him its 'Person Of The Year' in 2013.

At a press conference on 28 July 2013, when discussing homosexuality, Francis said, 'If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?'

In a late-afternoon conference call with reporters, a trio of White House executives said they expect a 'pastoral' visit from Francis, but obviously an unusual one that will differ substantially compared to state visits from foreign leaders.

Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor For Strategic Communications, Charlie Kupchan, Senior Director for European Affairs, National Security Council, and Melissa Rogers, Executive Director of the White House Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnership, also said they have 'no expectation' that Francis will offer opinions on U.S. domestic issues during his visit.

For the arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday, the three officials said a crowd of about 15,000 people are expected.

Obama will then meet one-on-one with the pontiff in the Oval Office, similar to the private visit between the two men at the Vatican last year.

Kupchan and Rogers said they flew to Rome to visit Francis's aides at the Vatican in June and lay the groundwork and agenda for the pope's White House visit.

The pope's nine-day foreign tour -- his 10th trip overseas but his first to Cuba and the U.S. - starts in Havana on Saturday, where he will meet former president Fidel Castro and current president Raul Castro sometime over the weekend.

On Tuesday, Francis travels to Washington, where he will meet Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and both of their spouses at Andrews Air Force Base. After the official White House visit on Wednesday, an address to Congress comes on Thursday.

On Friday the pontiff travels to New York where he will pray at Ground Zero - the site of the September 11 2001 World Trade Center terror attacks and visit the 9/11 museum.

A speech at the United Nations in New York and a Mass in Madison Square Garden are also scheduled.

On Saturday and Sunday, the 26th and 27th, the pope delivers two Masses in Philadelphia before returning to Rome. Both Obama and Biden will attend a farewell ceremony in Philadelphia.

The transgender attendee who has been invited to meet the pope at the White House, Mateo Williamson, is a former co-leader of Dignity USA Transgender Caucus.

This again could cause a rub - just a few weeks ago, Francis officially endorsed a Vatican stance against allowing transgender people from being baptismal godparents.

The pro-choice nun invited to the White House is Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK, a 44-year-old national social justice lobbying group.

The White House even used a transgender man to collect and transmit the papal invitations - Vivian Taylor, former leader of the social activism group Integrity USA.