Excerpts from Pope Francis’ Addresses To U.S. Congress And To The United Nations General Assembly
To U.S. Congress, September 23rd, 2015
“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 stays true to his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi who preached about the duty of humans to protect nature.
“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”
To the U.N. General Assembly, September 25th, 2015
“It must be stated that a true right of the environment does exist, for two reasons.”
“First, because we human beings are part of the environment. … We live in communion with it, since the environment itself entails ethical limits which human activity must acknowledge and respect. Man, for all his remarkable gifts, which are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology, is at the same time a part of these spheres.”
“He possesses a body shaped by physical, chemical and biological elements, and can only survive and develop if the ecological environment is favourable. Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity.”
“Second, because every creature, particularly a living creature, has an intrinsic value, in its existence, its life, its beauty and its interdependence with other creatures. We Christians, together with the other monotheistic religions, believe that the universe is the fruit of a loving decision by the Creator, who permits man respectfully to use creation for the good of his fellow men and for the glory of the Creator; he is not authorized to abuse it, much less to destroy it.”
“In all religions, the environment is a fundamental good.”
“The misuse and destruction of the environment are also accompanied by a relentless process of exclusion. In effect, a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged, either because they are differently abled (handicapped), or because they lack adequate information and technical expertise, or are incapable of decisive political action.”
“Economic and social exclusion is a complete denial of human fraternity and a grave offense against human rights and the environment. The poorest are those who suffer most from such offenses, for three serious reasons: they are cast off by society, forced to live off what is discarded and suffer unjustly from the abuse of the environment. They are part of today’s widespread and quietly growing “culture of waste”.
“The dramatic reality this whole situation of exclusion and inequality, with its evident effects, has led me, in union with the entire Christian people and many others, to take stock of my grave responsibility in this regard and to speak out, together with all those who are seeking urgently-needed and effective solutions.”
“The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the World Summit, which opens today, is an important sign of hope. I am similarly confident that the Paris Conference on Climatic Change will secure fundamental and effective agreements.”
To ready the entire transcript of the Pope’s address to U.S. Congress click on –http://time.com/4048176/pope-francis-us-visit-congress-transcript/?xid=homepage .
To ready the entire transcript of the Pope’s address to the U.N. General Assembly click – http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/09/25/pope-francis-united-nations-speech-full-text/ .
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This man is inspirational in many ways so I hope his Catholic followers, other religions and non believers have the sense to listen to him. I understand the US legislature and Supreme Court are currently about 30% Catholic (unbelievable about 50 years ago) so perhaps they will take some of his advice on economics, the environment, immigration, wars and other proposals into consideration.This man was also scientifically educated as a chemist and not immersed solely in religious doctrine so he knows whereof he speaks regarding topics such as climate change. His personality and charisma are just a bonus to his common sense, a quality so often lacking in today’s world.
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I am not a Catholic my Grandmothers family were all Catholics ,me I am not, but this Pope is like a fresh breeze to that church, the bible gives many warnings about the Earth, in that book God says he will destroy those that destroy the earth, in Psalms he refers to the “earth being his footstool.” too bad that the Republican controlled Senate and Congress are not interested in doing anything about it.!!!
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As an agnostic, I am impressed. He admits to imperfections, even about himself (part of the human condition, eh?) but has been the most progressive of Popes we have seen in years. I have my sneaky suspicions that Benedict was up to his eyeballs in the corruption of the Vatican, he of the custom-made red shoes. Never addressed the massive sex-scandals overwhelming the church. (Read today’s news about our local Niagara Grecco and maybe WIngle). Benedict saw the writing on the world wall, and retired. This Pope is becoming a celebrity, like John Paul II, an actor, and deceptive, I thought. Reading John Doyle’s first book told me much about John Paul II that I had not known of before.
My current worry is that certainly Francis cannot cure the ills of this world from spinning out of control, but has a quiet, sane presence that leads one to hope. At least I hope it leads his flock to consider his words carefully.
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I think this Pope should stick to his calling (or his appointment) and try to use his influence to get people in-touch with God and His principles; while not just confined to Roman Catholicism, of course, but as a spokesperson for the world at-large. It’s fine and commendable to be an advocate for constructive action on climate change, but he should stick to his specialty. Anyone and everyone in the public spotlight seem to inevitably venture into other areas they know very little about. Dr. Suzuki (alias “Dr. Fruit Fly”) himself has a very jaded and self-serving view of the environment, so too certain flamboyant members of the world of entertainment. It’s always “The Great Satan” who seeks the approval of the masses concerning the moral responsibility of earthlings, whose temporal world is en-route to Hell in a hand-basket.
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