September 24th marks the anniversary of Pope Francis' historic address to the United States Congress.
The Pope used this opportunity to recognize the great responsibility each politican in the audience had in the preservation and growth of the United States of America. But he also spoke out against the political issues the country was facing—such as the death penalty and the treatment of refugees.
POPE FRANCIS
Let us remember the Golden Rule…do onto others as you would have them do onto you.
Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War.
The Pope's speech was highly anticipated and received over 10 standing ovations from the top officials present. He did not shy away from social issues and warned against all types of fundamentalism, whether religious or of other kinds.
POPE FRANCIS
Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism.
But immigration and religious terrorism were not the only issues the Pope touched on—he also addressed the misuse of deadly weapons. The U.S. has seen over 400 mass shootings in 2023 alone and consistently has the most mass shootings of anywhere in the world.
POPE FRANCIS
Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood.
Before closing his address to both the House and the Senate, the Pope reiterated the importance of the protection of life, freedom and care for the most vulnerable—and referenced the legacy of some of the most influential leaders in American history.
POPE FRANCIS
A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to “dream” of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.
On September 24, 2015, Pope Francis made history as the first Pope to address a joint meeting of the United States Congress.
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