Pope to Congress: Time To Act On Climate Change, Poverty

“We must not be taken back by the numbers but view them rather as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories”, Francis said.

Pope Francis is getting the attention of people beyond a Catholic audience. Speaking of his own experience as the son of an immigrant, he identified with this land of immigrants, receiving more applause.

“There were certain topics that were sort of walled off from the religious world”, explained The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young of San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral.

His address ranged over several themes including migration, helping the poor, climate change and the death penalty.

“He reminded us that as a nation we are an accepting, forgiving and inclusive people and that we are powered and strengthened by our diversity”. While not addressing abortion straight out, the Pontiff did say that it is important for lawmakers and all Americans to “protect and defend human life at every stage of its development”.

Once the first papal speech before Congress was over, however, they retreated to their respective partisan corners, and offered up different interpretations of the pontiff’s message. But we have some pressing political matters to return to, and as you know, politics in America doesn’t wait long for anyone-even Your Holiness.

Indeed, the pope called for all countries to end the use of the death penalty, a controversial practice the USA obstinately retains in spite of widespread criticism.

“He said do unto others the way others would do to you”, Flores said.

“My decision not to attend the pope’s address was made to bring awareness to these critical issues, which deserve priority over climate change”.

Francis, who’s become one of the most politically active religious leaders in recent memory, received a standing ovation right out of the gate for a nod to America’s national anthem. He said that the family would be “a recurrent theme” of his public talks during this week’s visit, and he lamented that the family “is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without”.

The Republican-controlled Congress has failed to approve a sweeping reform that would have helped the estimated 11 million people, mostly Latinos, living in the United States without residency papers to gain legal status.