WASHINGTON – In a historic speech to the US Congress, Pope Francis on Thursday asked Americans to end hostility towards immigrants, jumping into a divisive debate about how the country should deal with millions of undocumented workers and their families.
Bringing a message that America’s power and wealth should be used to serve humanity, the Argentine pontiff said the United States must not turn its back on “the stranger in our midst.” “Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility,” the 78-year-old Francis told the Republican-dominated legislature.
Francis, born to an Italian immigrant family in Argentina, delivered a speech that addressed issues dear to liberals in the United States but also emphasised conservative values and Catholic teachings on the family.
The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics called for a more equitable economy, greater effort against climate change, and an end to the death penalty globally. His plea on immigration received frequent applause mostly from Democrats but also from Republicans.
