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>> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states and mrs. michelle obama. ♪ [applause]

[cheering] [indiscernible] ♪

[cheering] ♪ [applause] [cheering] [applause]

[cheering] [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the followed by the national anthem of the united states.

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[indiscernible] >> mr. president, this concludes the honor. order.

[indiscernible] president obama: good morning. [applause] [cheering] president obama: what a beautiful day the lord has made.

father, on behalf of michelle, myself, welcome to the white house. [applause] i should explain that our backyard is not typically this crowded. but the size and the spirit of today's gathering is a small reflection of the deep devotion of some 70 million american catholics. [applause] it reflects as well, the way your message of love and hope has inspired so many people across our nation and around the world.

so on behalf of the american people, it is my great honor and privilege to welcome you to the united states of america. [applause] today, we mark many firsts. your holiness, you have been celebrated as the first hope from the americas. [applause] this is your first visit to the united states. [applause] the firste also a twitter share account. [applause] visit not onlyur allows us in some small way to reciprocate the extraordinary hospitality that you extended to be at the vatican last year, it

also reveals how much all americans from every background and faith, value the role that the catholic church plays in strengthening america. [applause] from my time working in impoverished neighborhoods in chicago, to my travels as president, i have seen firsthand how every single day, catholic nuns, they, priests, are feeding the hungry, healing the sick, sheltering the homeless, educating our children , fortifying the face that sustains so many. true in america is true around the world. to thee aside as

villages in kenya, catholic organizations serve the poor, minister to prisoners, build schools and homes, operate hospitals, and just as the church has stood with those struggling to break the chains of poverty, the church so often has given voice seeking to those break the chain of violence and oppression. i believe the excitement around your visit, holy father, must be ,ttributed to your role as pope that also to your unique qualities as a person. [applause] in your humility, in brace,

simplicity and the gentleness of your words and the generosity of your spirit, we see a living teachings, asus' leader whose moral authority comes not just through words but also through deeds. [applause] you call on all of us, catholic and non-catholic alike, to put the least of these at the center of our concerns. that in the eyes of god, our measure as individuals and our measure as a society is not determined by wealth or power or station or but by how well we hate the scriptures to lift up

the poor. [applause] to stand up for justice, against to ensure that every human being is able to live in dignity, because we are all made -- of god.e off god world'snd us that the most powerful message is mercy. well committing a stranger with empathy and an open heart. [applause] from the refugees who flee war-torn lands to the immigrant who leads home -- leaves home in the search for a better life. [applause] it means showing compassion and to the outcast, to those

who seekr and those redemption. you remind us of the cost of war. powerless,y, on the and urges towards the imperative of peace. [applause] holy father, we are grateful for the support of the cuban people. [applause] which holds out the promise of better relations between our countries, and greater cooperation among our hemisphere and a better life for the cuban people. we thank you for your passionate voice against deadly complex that ravaged the life of men,

women and children. and your call to resist the sirens of war and to resolve disputes through diplomacy. you remind us that people are only free when they can practice their faith freely. [applause] here in the united states, we cherish religious liberty. basis of so much of .hat brought us together in the united states, we cherish our religious liberty but around the world, at this very moment, are targeted and killed because of their faith. believers are prevented from gathering at their places of worship, and the faithful are

imprisoned, churches are destroyed. so we stand with you in defense of religious freedom, knowing that people everywhere must be able to live out their faith free from fear and intimidation. [applause] and holy father, you remind us that we have a sacred obligation to protect our planet. god's magnificent gift to us. [applause] we support your call to all world leaders to support the communities most vulnerable to changing climates. to come together to preserve our precious world for future generations. [applause]

your holiness, your words and deeds set a profound moral example. in these gentle but firm reminders of our obligations to god and one another, you are -- shaking as out of our complacency. all of us may experience discomfort when we contemplate the distance between how we lead our daily lives and what we know to be true. what we know to be right. i believe such discomfort is a blessing, it points to something better. you shake our conscience from slumber. you call on us to rejoice in the good news, in the confidence that we can come together in humility and service to pursue a world that is more loving, just and more free.

here at home and around the world, may our generation he'd your call and never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope. that's great gift of hope, we thank you and we welcome you with joy and gratitude to the united states of america. [applause] [cheering] pope francis: good morning.

[cheering] president, i mr. am deeply grateful for your of all in the name americans. as the son of an immigrant guest, i am happy to be a builts country, which was by such families. [applause] i look forward to dialogue in which share to listen to and many of the hopes and dreams of the american people.

, i will have the honor of addressing congress. as a brother of this country to offer words of diedragement to those who a nation's political future through its founding principles. i will also travel to philadelphia for the meeting of families to celebrate and the institutions of marriage and families. a pivotal moment in the history of our -- [applause] president,s: mr.

together with the fellow catholics areican committed to building a society inclusive. to safeguarding the rights of individuals and communities, and to rejecting every form of injustice and discrimination. [applause] countlessis: with , theypeople of goodwill are likewise concentrating ,fforts to building a society

and respects their deepest concerns and their right to religious liberty. [applause] the freedom: reminds one of america's most precious possessions. brothers, the united all to be reminded us vigilant, precisely as good and defendo preserve freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it. [applause] ipe francis: mr. president, find it encouraging that you are

proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution. [applause] excepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a longer -- thatno can no longer be left to future generations. [applause] when it comes to our common home, we are living at a critical moment of history. we still have time to make the aange needed to bring about development, for we

know that things can change. [applause] that change: seriouson our part a not only of the kind of world we may be leaving for our children, but also to the millions of people living under a system which has overlooked them. part ofon home has been which carries out to heaven and which today, powerfully strikes our homes, cities and societies.

to use an italian phrase -- we defaultedat we have is thepromise and now time to honor it. [applause] pope francis: we know by faith that the creator does not abandon us. he has never forsaken us, he lovingly created us. humanity has the ability to all together in building our common , inspired by this, we wish

to commit ourselves to responsible care of our common home. president, -- which were mend brokene to relationships and to open new cooperation within our human family represents possibilities are along the path of reconciliation, justice and freedom. womend like all men and in this great nation to support the efforts of the international

theunity to protect vulnerable in our world and 2 -- integral models of -- [applause] so that our brothers and sisters everywhere may know the blessings of peace and which god wills for all of his children. again, ident, once .hank you for your welcome i look forward to this day in your country.

god bless america. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the gospel choir from washington, d.c.. [applause] i will lift my eyes to the

, knowing my help is coming from you. and i have a soul.

the source of my strength. the strength of my life. i live my -- i lift my hand in praise to you. amen. amen. all men. men.

amen. ♪ [applause] [indiscernible] president.

we love you pope francis. [applause] ♪

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