Vatican City, 25 September 2015 (VIS) –
The United States Congress, which met yesterday in joint session (an
assembly of both the House of Representatives and the Senate) was
addressed by a Pope for the first time in its history. Francis'
arrival was announced by the speaker of the House of Representatives
and Republican house leader John Boehner, and by the vice president
of the United States, the Democrat Joe Biden. The extraordinary
session was also attended by, among others, the dean of the
Diplomatic Corps, the Supreme Court, and the secretary of State John
Kerry.
The Pope was greeted with a standing
ovation and delivered a discourse in English, published in full
below, in which he underlined that all political activity must serve
the good of the human person and be based on respect and dignity.
Francis referred to four great Americans: President Abraham Lincoln,
“guardian of liberty”, the political activist Martin Luther King,
whose “dream of equality continues to inspire us all”, Dorothy
Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, whose “social
activism, passion for justice and the cause of the oppressed, were
inspired by the Gospel”, and the Cistercian monk Thomas Merton, “a
thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and … a man of
dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions”.
The following is the full text of the
Holy Father's address:
“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 on care for the people.
To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who
elected you.
“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 symbolises the need of
peoples 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
provides 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 face.
“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 organisations which offer a helping hand to
those most in need.
“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 realise their great and noble aspirations,
who are not led astray by facile proposals, and who face 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.
“My visit takes place at a time when
men and women of good will 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 will 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 honouring their memory, we are inspired,
even amid conflicts, and in the here and now of each day, to draw
upon our deepest cultural reserves.
“I would like to mention four of
these Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and
Thomas Merton.
“This year marks the one hundred and
fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham
Lincoln, the guardian of liberty, who laboured 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.
“All of us are quite aware of, and
deeply worried by, the disturbing social 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 delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must
be especially 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 especially guard against: the simplistic
reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the
righteous and sinners. The contemporary world, with its open wounds
which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we
confront every form of polarisation which would divide it into these
two camps. We know that in the attempt to be freed of the enemy
without, we can be tempted to feed the enemy within. To imitate the
hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take
their place. That is something which you, as a people, reject.
“Our response must instead be one of
hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are asked to summon the
courage and the intelligence to resolve today’s many geopolitical
and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the effects of
unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must
aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and
thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples. We must
move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and
solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.
“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.
“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 continue 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, born of grave injustices which can be
overcome only through new policies and new forms of social consensus.
“Here I think of the political
history of the United States, where democracy is deeply rooted in the
mind of the American people. All political activity must serve and
promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his
or her dignity. 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness'. If politics must truly be at the service
of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the
economy and finance. Politics is, instead, an expression of our
compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest
common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular
interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its
interests, its social life. I do not underestimate the difficulty
that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort.
“Here too I think of the march which
Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery fifty years ago as
part of the campaign to fulfil his 'dream' of full civil and
political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to
inspire us all. I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a
land of 'dreams'. Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to
commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the
life of a people.
“In recent centuries, millions of
people came to this land to pursue their 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. I say this to
you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also
descended from immigrants. Tragically, the rights of those who were
here long before us were not always respected. For those peoples and
their nations, from the heart of American democracy, I wish to
reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation. Those first contacts
were often turbulent and violent, but it is difficult to judge the
past by the criteria of the present. Nonetheless, when the stranger
in our midst appeals 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 'neighbours' and everything around us. Building a nation
calls us to recognise 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 am confident
that we can do this.
“Our world is facing a refugee crisis
of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents 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 opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children?
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. In a word, 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. 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! 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.
'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'.
“In 'Laudato Si’', 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. 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.
“A century ago, at the beginning of
the Great War, which Pope Benedict XV 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 he 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 hating Him; born to love Him, living
instead in fear of hopeless self-contradictory hungers'. Merton was
above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of
his 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 recognise 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 dialogue – a dialogue which may have been
interrupted for the most legitimate of reasons – new opportunities
open up for all. This has required, and requires, courage and daring,
which is not the same as irresponsibility. A good political leader is
one who, with the interests of all in mind, seizes the moment in a
spirit of openness and pragmatism. A good political leader always
opts to initiate processes rather than possessing spaces.
“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. 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. In the face of this shameful
and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to
stop the arms trade.
“Three sons and a daughter of this
land, four individuals and four dreams: Lincoln, liberty; Martin
Luther King, liberty in 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 the American
people.
“I will end my visit to your country
in Philadelphia, where I will take part in the World Meeting of
Families. It is my wish that throughout my visit the family should be
a recurrent theme. How essential the family has been to the building
of this country! And how worthy it remains of 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 relationships are being called into question, 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.
“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. 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 discussions. At the risk of oversimplifying,
we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people
not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the
future. Yet this same culture presents others with so many options
that they too are dissuaded from starting a family.
“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.
“In these remarks 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 continue 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!”
After his address, the Pope was
accompanied by House Speaker Boehmer to the Hall of Statuary where he
viewed the statue of Fr. Junipero Serra, before proceeding to the
Great Hall of the Library of Congress, where he presented the gift of
a precious edition of the Bible. Then, accompanied by the leaders of
Congress and members of the papal entourage, they both appeared on
the balcony from where the Pope greeted and blessed the crowd
gathered in the National Mall.
“Good day to you all!” he said, in
Spanish. “I thank you for your welcome and your presence. I thank
the most important people here: the children. I wish to ask God to
bless them. Lord, Father of all, bless this people, bless each one of
them, bless their families, give them what they need most. And I ask
you, please to pray for me. And those of you who do not believe, or
are unable to pray, please wish me well. God bless America!”
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