Pope Francis kicked off the month of September by inviting all Christians to pray for the planet.. For the first time, the Pope, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Ecumenical Patriarch launched a joint appeal to address “climate change and environmental degradation.”
POPE FRANCIS
'Together with our brothers and sisters of different Christians faiths, we pray and work for our common home in these times of grave planetary crisis.'
The Pope met with several new ambassadors to the Holy See, including the German and British ambassadors, and the ambassador of the Dominican Republic.
In September, Pope Francis also met with the Prime Minister of Lithuania, who made a donation to the Pope's humanitarian project in Ukraine.
He met with the President of Chile, who gave him a chess set...
And with the President of Ireland.
-'One of the wise men of today. I thank God that Ireland has such a wise man at its head.'
Pope Francis also met with Afghan Christians who escaped from the Taliban. One family recounted their difficult journey and gave the Pope a special gift.
-'She says she brought this ring all the way from Afghanistan and she wants to give it to you.'
But the main event of the month was the Pope's four-day visit to Hungary and Slovakia, his first trip since undergoing intestinal surgery.
He prayed with Catholics of the Latin and Eastern rites, as well as with Orthodox and Protestant Christians.
He met with Holocaust survivors, the elderly and young people in both countries...
And with the Roma community in Slovakia.
POPE FRANCIS
'The Church is indeed a home; it is your home. So I would say to you with my whole heart: you are always welcome!'
On the flight back to Rome, Pope Francis reiterated the Church's unwavering opinion that abortion is homicide. He also upheld the value of civil union laws for same-sex couples, but clarified that marriage is between a man and a woman.
POPE FRANCIS
'I spoke clearly about this. Marriage is a sacrament. Marriage is a sacrament and the Church does not have the authority to change the sacrament. That's how the Lord instituted it.'
Back at the Vatican, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Fernando Vérgez as the new President of Governorate of Vatican City State. He is in charge of civil matters affecting Vatican territory.
In China, the sixth bishop to be approved by both the Vatican and Beijing was appointed. He is the newest bishop of Wuhan, Francis Cui Qingqi.
During a conference on child protection, Pope Francis urged bishops to acknowledge the Church's failures in preventing child abuses and to seek the forgiveness of survivors. He said that concern for the Church's reputation should not displace caring for survivors of abuse.
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