Pope Francis Speech to Joint Session of Congress Transcript

Speaker 1: (00:09) Mr. Speaker, the Pope of the Holy See. Speaker 2: (00:12) Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you Pope Francis of the Holy See. Good luck. Pope Francis: (02:39) Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members of the Congress, dear friends, I am most grateful for your invitation to address this joint session of Congress in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I would like to think that the reason for this is that I too am a son of this great continent from which we have all received so much and toward which we share a common responsibility. Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility. Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk. Legislative activity is always based as the care of all the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elect you. Pope Francis: (05:51) Yours is a work which makes me reflect in two ways on the figure of Moses. On the one hand, the patriarch and lawgiver of the people of Israel symbolizes the need of people to keep alive their sense of unity by means of just legislation. On the other, the figure of Moses leads us directly to God and thus to the transcendent dignity of the human being. Moses provide us with a good synthesis of your work. You are asked to protect, by means of the law, the image and likeness fashioned by God on every human life. Pope Francis: (07:13) Today I would like not only to address you, but through you the entire people of the United States. Here, together with their representatives, I would like to take this opportunity to dialogue with the many thousands of men and women who strive each day to do an honest day’s work, to bring home their daily bread, to save money and, one step at a time, to build a better life for their families. These are men and women who are not concerned simply with paying their taxes, but in their own quiet way sustain the life of society. They generate solidarity by their actions, and they create organizations which offer a helping hand to those most in need. Pope Francis: (08:50) I would also like to enter into dialogue with the many elderly persons who are a storehouse of wisdom forged by experience, and who seek in many ways, especially through volunteer work, to share their stories and their insights. I know that many of them are retired, but still active. They keep working to build up this land. I also want to dialogue with all those young people who are working to realize their great and noble aspirations, who are not led astray by facile proposals, and who face difficult, difficult situations, often as a result of immaturity on the part of many adults. I wish to dialogue with all of you, and I would like to do so through the historical memory of your people. Pope Francis: (10:36) My visit takes place at a time when men and women of goodwill are marking the anniversaries of several great Americans. The complexities of history and the reality of human weakness notwithstanding, these men and women, for all their many differences and limitations, were able by hard work and self-sacrifice, some at the cost of their lives, to build a better future. They shaped fundamental values which endure forever in the spirit of the American people. A people with this spirit can live through many crises, tensions and conflicts, while always finding the resources to move forward, and to do so with dignity. These men and women offer us a way of seeing and interpreting reality. In honoring their memory, we are inspired, even amid conflicts, and in the here and now of each day, to draw upon our deepest cultural reserves. Pope Francis: (12:33) I would like to mention four of these Americans. Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton. Pope Francis: (12:53) This year marks the 150-year anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the guardian of liberty, who labored tirelessly that this nation, under God, might have a new birth of freedom. Building a future of freedom requires love of the common good and cooperation in a spirit of subsidiarity and solidarity. Pope Francis: (13:50) All of us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing social and political situation of the- Pope Francis: (14:03) ... and political situation of the world today. 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 dilution or ideological extremists. This means that we must be specially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology, or an economic system while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom, and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must specially guard against. The simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil, or if you will, the righteous and sinners. The contemporary war with these open wounds, which affects so many of our brothers and sisters. The demands that we confront every form of polarization, which were divided into these two camps. We know that in the attempt to fit the enemy without, we can attempt to fit the enemy within. To imitate the hatred and violence of [inaudible 00:16:49] and murders is the best way to take their place. That is something which you as people reject. Pope Francis: (17:11) Our response must instead be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are asked to summon the courage and intelligence to resolve today's many geopolitical and economical crises. Even in the developed world, the effect of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the wellbeing of individuals amongst peoples. We must move forward together as one in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generosity for the common good. Pope Francis: (18:43) The challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United States. The complexity, the gravity, and the urgency of these challenges demand that we pool our resources and talents and resolve to support one another with respect for our differences and our convictions of conscience. Pope Francis: (19:32) In this land, the various religious denominations have greatly contributed to building and strengthening society. It is important that today, as in the past, the voice of faith continues to be heard, for it is a voice of fraternity and love which tries to bring out the best in each person and in each society. Such cooperation is a powerful resource in the battle to eliminate new global forms of slavery, war of grave injustices, which can be overcome only through new policies and new forms of social consensus. Politics is instead an expression of our compelling [inaudible 00:21:01] to leave as one in order to build as one the greatest common good. That of a community which sacrifices particular interest in order to share in justice and peace, its good, its interest, its social life. I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort. Pope Francis: (21:46) Here I think of the march which Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery 50 years ago, as part of the campaign to fulfill his dream of full civil and political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to inspire us all. And I am happy that America continues to be for many a land of dreams. Dreams which leads to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of the people. In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue the dream of building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent are not fearful of foreigners. Because most of us were once foreigners. Pope Francis: (24:29) I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descendants of immigrants. Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always respected. For those peoples and the nations from the art of American democracy, I wish to reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation. Those first contacts were often turbulent and violent, but we know that it is very difficult to judge the past by the criteria of the present. Pope Francis: (25:47) Nonetheless, when the stranger in our midst appears to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our neighbors and everything around us. 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 in a constant effort to do our best. I'm confident that we can do this. However, it's facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the second world war. This percents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunity. It is not what we want for our own children. We ... Pope Francis: (28:05) We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons. Seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays, to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule, " Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". This rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. Pope Francis: (30:02) In our world, if we want security, let us give security. If we want life, let us give life. If we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development. This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty. Pope Francis: (32:38) Not only do I support them, but I also offer encouragement to all those who are convinced that a just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension of hope and the goal of rehabilitation. In these times when social concerns are so important, I cannot fail to mention the servant of God, Dorothy Day, who founded the Catholic Worker Movement. Her social activism, her passion for justice and for the cause of the oppressed, were inspired by the Gospel, her faith, and the example of the saints. How much progress has been made in this area in so many parts of the world? How much has been done in these first years of the third millennium to raise people out of extreme poverty? Pope Francis: (34:22) I know that you share my conviction that much more still needs to be done, and that in times of crisis and economic hardship a spirit of global solidarity must not be lost. At the same time I would encourage you to keep in mind all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of poverty. They too need to be given hope. The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes. I know that many Americans today, as in the past, are working to deal with this problem. It goes without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth. The right use of natural resources, the proper application of technology and the harnessing of the spirit of enterprise are essential elements of an economy which seeks to be modern, inclusive and sustainable. Pope Francis: (36:23) Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good. This common good also includes the earth, a central theme of the encyclical which I recently wrote in order to enter into dialogue with all people about our common home. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. I call for a courageous and responsible effort to redirect our steps, and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity. Pope Francis: (38:23) I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States, and this Congress, have an important role to play. Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies, aimed at implementing a culture of care and an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature. We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology, to devise intelligent ways of developing and limiting our power, and to put technology at the service of another type of progress. One which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral. In this regard, I am confident that America's outstanding academic and research institutions can make a vital contribution in the years ahead. Pope Francis: (40:43) A century ago, at the beginning of the Great War, which Pope Benedict 15 termed "a pointless slaughter", another notable American was born, the Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for many people. In his autobiography Merton wrote, "I came into the world, free by nature, in the image of God. I was nevertheless the prisoner of my own violence and my own selfishness, in the image of the world into which I was born. That world was the picture of hell, full of men like myself, loving God, and yet..." Pope Francis: (42:03) ... myself, loving God, and yet hating him. Born to love him, living instead in fear of hopeless self-contradictory [inaudible 00:42:18]. Merton was overall a man of prayer I think who challenged the certitudes of this time and opened new horizons for souls and for the church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions. From this perspective of dialogue, I would like to recognize the efforts made in recent months to help overcome historic differences linked to painful episodes of the past. It is my duty to build bridges and to help all men and women in any way possible to do the same. When countries which have been at odds resume the path of the dialogue, a dialogue which may have been interrupted for the most legitimate of reasons, new opportunities open up for all. Pope Francis: (43:56) With that required, and requires courage and daring, which is not the same as irresponsibility. A good political leader is one who, with the interest of all in mine, seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism. A good political leader always hopes to initiate processes rather than possessing space. Pope Francis: (44:52) Being at the service of dialogue and peace also means being truly determined to minimize, and in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts throughout our world. Pope Francis: (45:30) Here we have to ask ourself, 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 the shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the armed strife. Pope Francis: (46:24) Three sons and one daughter of this land. Four individuals, four dreams. Lincoln: Liberty. Martin Luther King: Liberty and plurality and non-exclusion. Dorothy Day: Social justice and the rights of persons. And Thomas Merton: The capacity for dialogue and openness to God. Four representatives of American people. I will end my visit to your country in Philadelphia where I will take back in the world meeting of families. It is my wish that throughout our visit, the family should be a recurrent theme. How essential the family has been to the building of this country. Pope Francis: (48:24) And how worthy it remains for our support and encouragement. Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relations have been caught as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance, and above all, the richness and the beauty of family life. Pope Francis: (49:10) In particular, I would like to call attention to those family members who are the most vulnerable. The young. For many of them, a future filled with countless possibilities beckons. Yet so many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse, and despair. Their problems are our problems. Pope Francis: (50:16) We cannot avoid them. We need to face them together, to talk about them and to seek effective solutions rather than getting bogged down in discussion. At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture with precious young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future. Yet the same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family. Pope Francis: (51:14) A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did. When it forces a culture which enables people to dream for full rights for all brothers and sisters as Martin Luther King sought to do. When it strives for justice and the calls of the oppressed as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of her faith, which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton. In this remark, I have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural heritage of the spirit of the American people. It is my desire that this spirit continues to develop and grow so that as many young people as possible can inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to dream. God bless America.