Pope visits Congress, homeless

In a historic speech to the U.S. Congress, Pope Francis fundamentally rearranged the political priorities for American Catholics in public life.

After efforts by both sides to overhaul immigration laws failed, the United States saw a flood previous year of more than 60,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America rushing to the USA border hoping to get in.

Apparently not. In any event, there was not a word about oppressed Christians in the Pope’s speech today.

The boycott brought him derision from Stephen Colbert, the Late Show host who spent part of his monologue Wednesday night taking jabs at Gosar’s position. He reminded legislators that among their primary roles is to protect and sustain the vulnerable and poor.

Asked by CNN whether he agreed with Francis that the issue is a pressing one, the Republican presidential frontrunner said “no”. Pope Francis left a powerful impression in Washington.

“I was a little bit surprised that he seemed to set up that conversation about how all stages of life are valuable then followed that immediately up with a conversation about the death penalty and never went any farther”, Lankford stated. Instead, “what I am doing is using my feet to voice my disappointment in the Pope’s decision to prioritize climate change over speaking out against religious intolerance happening across the world“. After noting the importance of combating violence in the name of “a religion, an ideology or an economic system”, he warned against the “simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners”.

“I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants and we must be able to respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal”, he said.

Pope Francis met for lunch with 200 people who are homeless or living in poverty in Washington on Thursday and told them there was no social or moral justification for homelessness.

“I think that clean air is a pressing problem”.

As a young woman Day had an abortion, and the pope’s choice to highlight her service was seen by some observers as a demonstration of his vision of a merciful church. “At this point in time in our country, we really should have a more lenient policy on immigration…everybody should have the opportunity our ancestors had”.