Pope Francis tackles subjects that divide America in historic speech to Congress

[webfact]

Pope Francis tackles subjects that divide America in historic speech to Congress

WASHINGTON: -- Pope Francis, in the historic first address to the US Congress by the leader of the Roman Catholic church, ranged far and wide covering a number of hot-button issues including climate change, the death penalty, the arms trade, and marriage and the family.

He reminded those who want to put up border fences that America a nation built by immigrants.

“We, the people of this continent, are not fearfull of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners,” he said. “Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity.”

Francis concluded to a standing ovation, having directly addressed a number of issues that divide Americans and which concern both conservatives and liberals.

Following the speech Francis went to greet the large crowd that had gathered outside Congress and waved to them from a balcony. He then departed to meet homeless people, with New York the next stop on his itinerary. However several commentators noted that despite the speech’s strong content, the message may have been dulled by Francis’s slow and heavily.accented English.


-- euronews 2015-09-25

[Usernames]

What America does with its borders is NONE of this relic from the Dark Ages' business.

[spiritrace]

The pope needs to worry about all those christians being slaughtered in his own back yard......

[reptile91602]

All this shit from so many sides that we shouldn't keep out immigrants is so much BS. The whole controversy is and always has been to regulate immigration by keeping out illegal immigrants, not immigrants. Even I am a fan of Bill Maher and John stewart but on this issue I don't know why they choose to keep reporting it so off base. There is no one in all the stupid politicians even and they are really a bunch of <deleted> that are saying to deep out immigrants, only illegal ones.

[khwaibah]

He can stuff it.

[Usernames]

The pope and the Vatican need to let loose of their own loot and serve it out to all those "refugees." And maybe let'em camp out at the Vatican, too. If he really is so worried about giving immigrants opportunities. Wonder why that isn't happening already???

[Gandonsi]

What America does with its borders is NONE of this relic from the Dark Ages' business.

He's hardly a relic from the Dark Ages when it was he who negotiated the peace talks between the US and Cuba.

The pope and the Vatican need to let loose of their own loot and serve it out to all those "refugees." And maybe let'em camp out at the Vatican, too. If he really is so worried about giving immigrants opportunities. Wonder why that isn't happening already???

On this I agree. The reason for this is despite being a better Pope than the last, even he cannot change that the Catholic Church is a corrupt and greedy establishment.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Gandonsi

[reptile91602]

i'm not catholic but I hope for those who are commenting on what the pope said in his speach to congress have listened to it or else shut the f....up. You are morons.

[reptile91602]

Why are attacking a poster are the Greatest ?

What the hell does this sentence mean?

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory posts and replies removed.

[elgordo38]

Good arguments on both sides. Unfortunately this Pope is trapped by his own trapping of grandeur as much as he wants to appear the poor peoples pope. Making a speech before Congress was a waste of time your talking to people that are in the hip pocket of the rich and these same rich are the only words that politicians will listen to and act upon. Yes they clapped like trained seals but that is their role and it must be played. It was just another chapter in his American road show. Yes Christianity has killed over 200 million people over the past thousand years or so and yes this might be surpassed in decades to come if we survive that long which I doubt. I predict by 2050 its game over. Yes Christianity has done many unchristian things over the centuries. The inquisition comes to mind. We are a polarized world and sadly will remain that way. For all our educational advancement there are still students who do not know the name of the president of the United States or think that he is a non American and a muslim.

[Usernames]

“We, the people of this continent, are not fearfull of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners,” he said. “Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity.”

"We?" "This continent?" We are Americans. This continent is North America. The ignorant old blowhard doesn't even realize that South America is a separate continent.

[Baerboxer]

What America does with its borders is NONE of this relic from the Dark Ages' business.

The pope wants to see open US borders so millions of catholics from the South can pour in. The greater the number of catholic voters, the greater the pope and catholic church lobby.

There are still, as can be seen from his reception, many in the US who still believe in these catholic fairy stories.

[chuckd]

What did everyone expect from the newest Democratic US Senator from the Vatican?

Everything on the current administration's agenda was supported.

Edited September 26, 2015 by chuckd

[Jingthing]

What did everyone expect from the newest Democratic US Senator from the Vatican?

Everything on the current administration's agenda was supported.

I get the joke but not quite the truth.

[Publicus]

What did everyone expect from the newest Democratic US Senator from the Vatican?

Everything on the current administration's agenda was supported.

Here's what the Pope didn't say about a divided America that I would say if someone were to presume to ask me for a reasonable approximation of what I really think...

Republicans are right wing extremists, all of them, and the current dysfunction the party is experiencing is its own fault for embracing radical religious and anti-government maniacs. For many on the left it is entertaining to watch the Republican civil war raging in Congress, but like all wars there are always noncombatant casualties, and collateral damage. Sadly, the only casualties are the American people suffering yet another worthless Congress and tragically for this country, none of the casualties are religious and anti-government Republicans. However, that is something voters can reverse in 14 months.

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/09/24/boehner-ally-calls-ted-cruz-republicans-right-wing-marxists.html

My Donald Trump moment