Happy Friday!
And now, a special edition of the papal rapid fire roundup:
In his first remarks on American soil, Pope Francis on Wednesday told President Obama and a huge crowd on the South Lawn of the White House that the U.S. must safeguard religious freedom while also stressing the “urgency” of addressing climate change and praising the president’s environmental policies.
The delivery of a crayon-scrawled letter to Pope Francis by 5-year-old Sophie Cruz may have been the most memorable moment of Francis’ first full day in the United States.
Pope Francis canonized a controversial 18th-century Spanish missionary on Wednesday, the first full day of his historic visit to the U.S.—but he made scant mention of the new saint, Junipero Serra, whom he has defended for protecting Native Americans.
He also on Wednesday made an unscheduled stop to a convent of nuns to show his support for their lawsuit against President Barack Obama’s health care law.
Francis became the first pontiff to deliver an address to a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday, in which he focused on four Americans: Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Merton. Here is the full text of his remarks, as prepared for delivery.
He brought his campaign for action on climate change to the United Nations this morning, proclaiming the existence of a “right of the environment” and pleading with countries to stop abusing it.
And here’s the story behind today’s interfaith gathering with Pope Francis at Ground Zero.
And some extra pope fun:
- The nuns who “tailgated” before Pope Francis’ Junipero Serra canonization Mass have been identified, along with their tailgate sandwiches of choice.
- Here’s the story behind that priest following Pope Francis everywhere.
- Watch this adorable kid get really excited about his selfie with Pope Francis.
- Some New York pizzerias have gone all out on papal ‘ZA.
