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 ociety. such cooperation is a powerful esource in the battle to eliminate new global forms of slavery, born of grave injustices which can be vercome only through new olicies and new forms of ocial consensus.

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 community which sacrifices particular interest in order to share injustice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social ife. i do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves. but i encourage you in this ffort.

ere too i think of the march which martin luther king led from selma to montgomery fifty 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 s all. am happy that america continues to be, for many, a and 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. n recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom. we, the people of this ontinent, are not fearful of

oreigners because most of us ere once foreigners. i say this to you as the son of mmigrants, 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 urbulent 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 he errors of the past.

we must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as ossible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our neighbors and verything around us. building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mind-set 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 ince 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 f greater opportunities. is this not what we want for ur 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 ould have - o 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 s provide opportunities. the yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which ime will use for us. the golden rule also reminds us of our responsibility to rotect 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. am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is

sacred, every human person is ndowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of rimes. recently my brother bishops here in the united states renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty. ot 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 oal 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 ost. at the same time i would ncourage 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, specially 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. usiness 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 f it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its ervice to the common good.

this common good also includes he 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 ffort to redirect our steps, and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human ctivity. i am convinced that we can make difference, i'm sure -- and i have no doubt that the united states, and this

congress, have an important ole 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 ature. we have the freedom needed to imit 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 nstitutions 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 erton. he remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for many people. in his autobiography he wrote, i came into the world. ree by nature, in the image of od, i was nevertheless the prisoner of my own violence and my own selfishness, in the image of the world into which i as 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 elf-contradictory hungers. erton 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 hurch. 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 ast. it is my duty to build bridges and to help all men and women, in any way possible, to do the ame. 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 rresponsibility. a good political leader is one who, with the interests of all in mind, seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and ragmatism. a good political leader always opts to initiate processes rather than possessing spaces. being at the service of

ialogue and peace also means being truly determined to minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts hroughout our world. here we have to ask ourselves: why are deadly weapons being old 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 nd to stop the arms trade. three sons and a daughter of his 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 y visit the family should be a recurrent theme. how essential

the family has been to the uilding 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 relations have been 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 illed with countless ossibilities beckons, yet so many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair.

their problems are our roblems. 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. t the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a ulture 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 rom starting a family. a nation can be considered reat 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 ireless work, the fruit of her faith, which becomes dialogue nd sows peace in the contell

-- in the contemplative style of thomas herton. -- merton. in these remarks i have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural heritage, of the spirit of the american eople. 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!

[applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015]

[cheers and applause]

[cheers and applause] >> i'm so grateful for your presence here. the most important ones here, hildren. will ask god to bless them. bless these,

less each of them, bless the amilies. less them all. to i ask you all please .ray for me and if there are among you any who do not believe or cannot i ask you please to send ood wishes my way.

thank you. thank you very much. and god bless america. [applause]

>> pope francis today became the first pope to speak before congress. you can see his 50-minute speech tonight on c-span at 8:00 eastern. the pope has left washington and is now in new york city. tomorrow he speaks to the united nations general assembly at 0k a.m. eastern. then at 11:30 tomorrow morning, pope francis participates in an interfaith service at the 9/11 memorial. you can see both of those live tomorrow on our companion etwork, c-span3. >> the c-span networks feature weekends full of politics, nonfiction books and american history. the pope's visit to the united states continues saturday as he travels from new york to philadelphia. life coverage starts at 4:30 p.m. eastern as pope francis speaks at independence hall. then at 7:30 p.m., the pontiff

attends the festival of families, which is part of the world meeting of families. moving to our "road to the white house" coverage, join us sunday evening at 6:35 eastern as harvard professor and presidential candidate lawrence lessig talks about his decision to run for poth. tv," c-span2's "book bill o'reilly speaks about his newest book, "killing reagan," looking at the plobes faced following an assassination attempt. casey er on sunday, doug sits down to discuss his book. and on c-span3, live from

gettysburg college to mark the 125th anniversary of president dwight d. eisenhower's birth, discussing his military and political career with his grandchildren, susan, ann, and mary eisenhower. d on sunday, reel america, a movie of a visit of the quick and queen -- king and queeng of of afghanistan. after his speech to congress, pope francis traveled about a mile to st. patrick's, the oldest catholic church in the nation's capital. he spoke to catholic charities and some of those it served, including the homeless and people addicted to drugs.

[cheers and applause]

translator: it is a pleasure to see you here this morning. you are going to hear two statements. one in spanish and one in english. cheers and applause] the first word i wish to say to ou is thank you. for your efforts to make this eeting possible. here i think of a person whom i love, someone who is and has been very important throughout my life.

he has been a support and an inspiration. is the one i go to whenever i'm in a bind. you make me think of st. joseph. your faces remind me of his. joseph had to face some difficult situations in his ife. one of them was the time when mary was about to give birth to jesus.

the bible tells us that while they were in bethlehem, the time came for her to deliver her child. and she gave birth to a first bjorn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid anymore a manger because there was no place for them in the inn. the bible is very clear about this. here was no room for them. i can imagine joseph with his

wife, about to have a child, with no shelter, no home, no place to stay. the son of god came into this orld as a homeless person. the son of god knew what it was to be a homeless person. what it was to start life ithout a roof over his head. we can imagine what joseph must . ve been thinking how is it that a son of god has

no home? why are we homeless? why don't we have housing? these are questions which many f you may ask daily. like st. joseph, you may ask, why are we homeless, without a place to live? these are questions which all . us might well ask why do these, our brothers and

sisters have no place to live? why are these brothers and isters of ours homeless? joseph's questions are timely even today. they accompany all those who, throughout history, have been nd are homeless. joseph was someone who asked questions. but first and foremost he was a man of faith. faith gave joseph the power to find light, just at the moment

when everything seemed dark. faith sustained him amid the roubles of life. thanks to faith, joseph was able to press forward when everything seemed to be holding im back. in the face of unjust and painful situations, faith brings us the light that scatters the darkness. as it did for joseph, faith

makes us open to the quiet presence of god at every moment of our lives and every person nd in every situation. god is present in every one of ou, in each one of us. i want to be very clear. you can find no social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing.

there are many unjust situations, but we know that od is suffering with us. experiencing them at our side. e does not abandon us. we know that jesus wanted to show solidarity with every erson. he wanted everyone to experience his companionship, is help, and his love.

he identified with all those who suffer, the weak who suffer any kind of injustice. he tells us this clearly, i was hungry and you gave me food. i was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. i was a stranger and you welcomed me. faith makes us know that god is at our side, that god is in our midst and is -- and his resence spurs us to charity.

charity is born of a call for god who continues to knock on our door, the door to invite us to love, to compassion, service f one another. jesus keeps knocking on our .oors, the doors of our lives he doesn't do this by magic. th special effects, with

flashing lights and fireworks. jesus keeps knocking on our door in the faces of our brothers and sisters, in the faces of our neighbors, in the aces of those at our side. dear friends, one of the most effective ways we have to help s is that of prayer. prayer unites us and makes us brothers and sisters. it opens our hearts and reminds us of a beautiful truth which we sometimes forget.

, prayer we all learn to say .ather, dad and when we say father, or dad, we learn to see one another as rothers and sisters. in prayer, there are no rich and poor people. here are sons and daughters. in prayer there is no first or second class. there is brotherhood.

it is in prayer that our hearts find the strength not to be called an insensitive in the face of injustice. in prayer god keeps calling us, pening our hearts to charity. how good it is for us to pray together. how good it is to encounter one another in this place where we see one another as brothers and sisters, where we realize that we need one another.

today, i want to be one with you. i need your support, your closeness. i would like to invite you to pray together for one another. ith one another. the way we can keep helping one nother to experience the joy of knowing that jesus is in our midst.

and may jesus help us to solve the many injustices that he knew first, that of not having home. are you ready to pray with e? i say it in spanish and you continue in english. our farther who art in heaven, allowed be thy name. thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily

bread. and forgive us our trespasses and we forgive them that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for every and ever, men. before leaving you, i would like to give you god's lessing. the lord bless you and keep you . the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. the lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. and please, don't forget to pray for me. thank you.

[applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute,

which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national able satellite corp. 2015]

> his blessing to you all.

pope francis: [speaking foreign anguage] >> enjoy your meal. [applause]

[captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] >> pope francis today became the first pope to speak before congress. you can see his 50-minute speech tonight on c-span at 8:00 eastern. the pope has left washington and is now in new york city. tomorrow he speaks to the united nations general assembly at 10:00 a.m. eastern. then at 11:30 tomorrow morning, pope francis participates in an interfaith service at the 9/11 memorial. you can see both of those live

tomorrow on our companion network, c-span3. yesterday morning, pope francis met president obama at the white house, where both men spoke on the south lawn. this is 40 minutes. >> and mrs. michelle obama. [playing "hail to the chief"]

♪

cheers and applause]

cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the national anthem of the holy see, followed by the national anthem of the united states. >> present. rms. >> flags, present.

♪ [playing the national anthem]

cheers and applause] >> shoulder. >> troops in review.

[applause] >> present arms.

mr. president, this concludes the honors.

president obama: good morning. what a beautiful day the lord has made. holy 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 pope from the americas. [applause] this is your first visit to the united states. [applause] and you are also the first pontiff to share an encyclical through a twitter account. [laughter] [applause] holy father, your visit not only allows us in some small way to reciprocate the extraordinary hospitality that you extended to me at the vatican last year, it also reveals how much all americans from every background and every 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 communities, priests, nuns, they are feeding the hungry, healing the sick, sheltering the homeless, educating our children, fortifying the faith, that sustains so many. and what is true in america is true around the world. from the busy streets of buenos aires to remote villages in kenya, catholic organizations serve the poor, minister to prisoners, build schools, build homes, operate orphanages and hospitals, and just as the church has stood with those

struggling to break the chains of poverty the church so often has given voice and hope to those seeking to break the chains of violence and oppression. i believe the excitement around your visit, holy father, must be attributed not only to your role as pope but to your unique qualities as a person. [applause] in your humility, your embrace of simplicity, and the gentleness of your words and the generosity of your spirit, we see a living example of jesus' teachings, a 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. you remind us 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 elebrity, but by how well we hugh to scripture's call to lift up the poor and to the marginalized. [applause] to stand up for justice, against inequality, to ensure that every human being is able to live in dignity, because we are all made in the image of god. [applause]

you remind us that the lord's most powerful message is mercy. and that means welcoming the stranger with empathy and a truly open heart. [applause] from the refugees who flee war-torn lands to the immigrant who leaves home in search of a better life. [applause] it means showing compassion and love for the marginalized and the outcast, to those who suffered and those who have caused suffering and seek redemption. you remind us of the cost of war. particularly, on the powerless, and defenseless and urge us

toward the imperative of peace. [applause] holy father, we are grateful for your invaluable support of our new beginning with the cuban people, which hold out the promise -- [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 the deadly conflicts that ravage the lives of so many men, women, and children, and your call for nations to resist the sirens of war and resolve isputes 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. it was the basis of so much of hat brought us together. in the united states, we herish our religious liberty but around the world, at this very moment, children of god including christians are targeted and even 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

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 us 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 ree. here at home and around the world, may our generation heed your call to 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] ope francis: good morning. mr. president, i am deeply grateful for your welcome in the name of all americans.

as the son of an immigrant family, i am happy to be a guest in this country, which was built by such families. [applause] i look forward to these days of dialogue in which hope to listen to and share many of the hopes and dreams of the american people. during my visit, i will have the honor of addressing congress where i hope as a

brother of this country to offer words of encouragement to those who guide the nation's political future through its founding principles. i will also travel to philadelphia for the meeting of families to celebrate and support the institutions of marriage and families at this critical moment in the history of our civilization. [applause] mr. president, together with the fellow citizens, american catholics are committed to building a society which is inclusive. o safeguarding the rights of

-- which is totally tolerant, inclusive. to safeguarding rights of individuals and communities, and to rejecting every form of injustice and discrimination. [applause] with countless other people of goodwill, they are likewise concentrating efforts to build a just society and respect their deepest concerns and their right of religious liberty. [applause] ope francis: the freedom reminds one of america's most recious possessions. as my brothers, the united

states bishops has reminded us, all are to be vigilant precisely as good citizens to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it. [applause] mr. president, i 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 problem we can no longer be left to our future generations. [applause] pope francis: when it comes to the care of our common home, we are leading at a critical moment of history. we still have time to make the change needed to bring about a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. [applause] such change demands on our part a serious response and recognition not

only of the kind of the world we may be leaving for our children, but also to the millions of people living under a system which has overlooked them. our common home has been part f this group which carries out to heaven and which today, powerfully strikes our homes, ities and societies. to use an italian phrase of the reverend martin luther king, we can say that we have defaulted on our promissory note and now is the time to honor it.

[applause] e know by faith that the creator does not bandon us. he has never forsaken us, he lovingly created us. humanity has the ability to all together in building our common home as christians inspired by this, we wish to commit ourselves to the conscious and responsible care of our common ome.

mr. president, the thoughts which were recently made to mend broken relationships and to open new cooperation within our humanity represent possibly steps to reconciliation, justice, and freedom. i would like all men and women of good will in this great ation to support the efforts of the international community to protect the vulnerable in our world and to stimulate integral models of development. [applause]

so that our brothers and isters everywhere may know the blessings of peace and prosperity, which god wills for all of his children. mr. president, once again, i hank you for your welcome. i look forward to this day in your country. god bless america. [applause]

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

hills ♪ lord i will lift my eyes to the hills knowing my help is coming from ou your peace you give me n time of us all you are the source of my strength you are the strength of my ife

i lift my hand in total praise to you amen en amen en amen men en ♪ n [applause]

>> honor guard. attention. >> we love you, pope francis. cheers and applause]

[captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015]

cheers and applause] ♪ [cheers and applause] francis also spoke from

the west capital overlooking a national mall in washington dc straight out to the washington monument. he spoke out on the balcony after addressing the very historic first papal address to the united states capital congress. cardinalssome of the on the balcony, part of his tour through the united states, the first time that pope francis has been here. he went later in the afternoon to new york city. but before that he went to st. patrick's church in washington dc and also met with some of the homeless and the poor who are served by catholic charities. take a look at some of the tweets by people around washington dc. lisa tweeting a picture, "seen at pope in