Pope Francis brings the urgency of climate change to the White House

I

n his first public address during his visit to the United States, Pope Francis spent the majority of his time harping on one issue: Climate change.

Pope Francis has brought the urgency of
climate change to the White House.

Speaking before a massive crowd outside the White House Wednesday morning, Pope Francis began his talk by referencing his immigrant heritage, noting, “As the son of an immigrant family, I am happy to be a guest in this country, which was largely built by such families.” He then offered an aside praising the merits of religious liberty, asking the U.S. government to pay heed to the beliefs of American Catholics and “respect their deepest concerns and their right to religious liberty.”

But just three paragraphs into his prepared remarks, Francis pivoted sharply to the another issue near to his heart — the environment.

Read the ClimateProgress story - “In First U.S. Address, Pope Francis Spends Most Of His Time Talking About Climate Change”.