WASHINGTON – During his historical joint meeting with Congress, Pope Francis reflected his hope for the U.S. to model itself after four historical Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, and Thomas Merton, a peace-promoting Trappist monk.
“They shaped fundamental values which will endure forever in the spirit of the American people. A people with this spirit can live through man crises, tensions and conflicts, while always finding the resources to move forward, and to do so with dignity,“ Francis said.
The first ever Latin American pope emphasized the importance of dialogue about issues related to the current refugee crisis, family unity, religious fundamentalism, distribution of wealth, abolition of the death penalty, climate change and immigration.
“We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants,” he said before receiving a standing ovation.
The room was at full capacity with members of Congress, supreme court justices, religious leaders and members of the public. The crowd cheered repeatedly through out his speech, except for the arms trade topic that didn’t get much praise from Republicans.
“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. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade,” the pope said.
Many of his views aligned with the Democratic Party when he indirectly referenced support for recent relationship changes like the Cuban re-opening and the Iran Agreement.
“When countries which have been at odds resume the path of dialogue- a dialogue which may have been interrupted for the most legitimate of reasons- new opportunities open up for all,” he said.
A number of Republicans dispute Francis’ view of climate change being caused by human activity, which he reiterated in his speech and touches on in his encyclical “Laudato Si’.”
“The speech should give the Republican leadership candidates a headache,” said James Weiss, a Boston College professor of church history with a specialty in the papacy. “Boehner must wonder what he was thinking to invite Francis.”
He rounded out his speech stressing the courageous feats of the four model Americans that he wove in and out of his address and ended with, “God bless America.”
This was one of four speeches His Holiness conducted in English, the others being in Spanish. After his address to Congress he met with charitable organizations at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
He left the nation’s capital later Thursday for Philadlephia, then New York. He returns home to Rome on Sunday night.
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