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 of greater
opportunities. Is this not what we want for our 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 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
us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick
which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our
responsibility to protect 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. I am convinced
that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is
endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the
rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Recently my brother bishops here
in
the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty.
Not
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 goal 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 lost. At the same time I would
encourage
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, especially 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. 'Business 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 if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential
part of its service to the common good'. This common good also includes the
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 effort to 'redirect
our steps', and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental
deterioration caused by human activity. 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'. 'We have the freedom needed to limit 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 institutions 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 Merton. He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and
a guide for many people. In his autobiography he wrote: 'I came into the world.
Free by nature, in the image of God, I was nevertheless the prisoner of my own
violence and my own selfishness, in the image of the world into which I was
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
self-contradictory hungers'. Merton 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 Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples
and religions.
 "From this perspective of dialogue, I would like to recognise the efforts made
in recent months to help overcome historic differences linked to painful
episodes of the past. It is my duty to build bridges and to help all men and
women, in any way possible, to do the same. 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
irresponsibility. A good political leader is one who, with the interests of all
in mind, seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism. A good
political leader always opts to initiate processes rather than possessing
spaces.
 "Being at the service of dialogue and peace also means being truly determined
to minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts throughout
our world. Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold 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 and to stop the arms trade.
 "Three sons and a daughter of this 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 my visit the
family
should be a recurrent theme. How essential the family has been to the building
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 relationships are being 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 filled with
countless
possibilities beckons, yet so many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped
in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair. Their problems are our
problems. 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. At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a
culture 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 from starting a family.
 "A nation can be considered great 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 tireless
work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the
contemplative style of Thomas Merton.
 "In these remarks I have sought to present some of the richness of your
cultural heritage, of the spirit of the American people. 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!"
 After his address, the Pope was accompanied by House Speaker Boehmer to the
Hall of Statuary where he viewed the statue of Fr. Junipero Serra, before
proceeding to the Great Hall of the Library of Congress, where he presented the
gift of a precious edition of the Bible. Then, accompanied by the leaders of
Congress and members of the papal entourage, they both appeared on the balcony
from where the Pope greeted and blessed the crowd gathered in the National
Mall.
 "Good day to you all!" he said, in Spanish. "I thank you for your welcome and
your presence. I thank the most important people here: the children. I wish to
ask God to bless them. Lord, Father of all, bless this people, bless each one
of
them, bless their families, give them what they need most. And I ask you,
please
to pray for me. And those of you who do not believe, or are unable to pray,
please wish me well. God bless America!"

___________________________________________________________

 The Holy Father: there is no social or moral justification for homelessness
 Vatican City, 25 September 2015 (VIS) - After his address to the United States
Congress, Pope Francis transferred to the church of St. Patrick, the first
parish in Washington, founded in 1794 to offer pastoral service to the Irish
workers who were building the White House and Capitol, to where the United
States government transferred in 1880 (Philadelphia was the temporary capital
of
the United States in the meantime). The church has a centre for health and
education for the homeless, dedicated to Cardinal James Hickey, archbishop of
Washington between 1980 and 2000, who had promoted diocesan health care
services
for the needy and migrants. The cardinal chose to spend the final years of his
life in a home for the elderly without recourse to the Sisters of the Poor.
 Francis arrived at the church shortly after 11 a.m. (5 p.m. in Rome), where he
was awaited by two hundred homeless people whom he greeted and thanked for
welcoming him and for their efforts to make the meeting possible. He spoke to
them about the importance of St. Joseph, "the one I go to whenever I am 'in a
fix'". "You make me think of St. Joseph. Your faces remind me of his".
 "Joseph had to face some difficult situations in his life", he continued. "One

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