text: WASHINGTON (AP) — Latest developments in Pope Francis' visit to the United States. All times local: 
   
   Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, making history as the first pontiff to do so. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) (Associated Press) 
   
   Pope Francis is applauded as he arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, to address a joint meeting of Congress, making history as the first pontiff to do so. (AP Photo/Carolyn... (Associated Press) 
   
   Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, making history as the first pontiff to do so. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) (Associated Press) 
   
   Pope Francis smiles as he walks into the House chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, before addressing a joint meeting of Congress. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (Associated Press) 
   
   Pope Francis arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, to address a joint meeting of Congress. (Michael Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP) (Associated Press) 
   
   Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, making history as the first pontiff to do so. Listening behind the pope are Vice President Joe... (Associated Press) 
   
   11:20 a.m. 
   
   From the balcony of the U.S. Capitol, Pope Francis asked a crowd of tens of thousands to pray for him. 
   
   It's a plea he traditionally makes. But this time, speaking in Spanish, he added a line to acknowledge that not everyone in the crowd was Christian, much less a believer. 
   
   Through a translator, the pontiff said: "If among you there are some who don't believe or who cannot pray, I ask that you send good wishes my way." 
   
   After his speech to Congress, the pope walked onto a balcony of the Capitol and greeted the throngs with "Buenos Dias." 
   
   He expressed gratitude for their presence and asked God to bless "the most important ones here — children." 
   
   Francis ended his remarks in English, saying "Thank you very much and God bless America." The crowd cheered boisterously. 
   
   ___ 
   
   11:10 a.m. 
   
   Pope Francis has taken his call for action on climate change to Congress. In his address to lawmakers, Francis urged a "courageous and responsible effort" to avert the most serious effects of what he called the "environmental deterioration caused by human activity." 
   
   Francis says he's convinced that working together, nations can make a difference to slow global warming. He says the U.S. and "this Congress" have an important role to play. Now, he says, is the time for a "culture of care." 
   
   ___ 
   
   11 a.m. 
   
   Pope Francis is lamenting that the very basis of marriage and family life today is being put into question — an allusion to gay marriage in a country that recently legalized same-sex marriage across the land. 
   
   Speaking before Congress in the first-ever papal address, Francis said the family today is "threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without." 
   
   While Francis has shown great openness to gays as individuals, he has staunchly upheld the church teaching that marriage is a union between man and woman. 
   
   Sitting in front of Francis for his speech was John Roberts, chief justice of the Supreme Court, which legalized gay marriage across the country. 
   
   Francis is expected to speak in greater depth about the threats to families at a big church rally in Philadelphia later this week. 
   
   ___ 
   
   11 a.m. 
   
   Pope Francis is demanding an end to the arms trade, delivering a tough message to a country that is the world's largest exporter of weapons. 
   
   Speaking before Congress, the pope asked why weapons are being sold to people who intend only to inflict suffering on innocents. He said: "Sadly, the answer as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood." 
   
   Francis has in the past denounced weapons makers and dealers as "the root of evil" and questioned how weapons manufacturers can call themselves Christian. 
   
   Francis has, however, said that it is legitimate to use military force against an "unjust aggression," such as the attacks by Islamic extremists against Christian and other religious minorities in Syria and Iraq. 
   
   ___ 
   
   10:50 a.m. 
   
   Pope Francis has used his speech to Congress to express sympathy for American Indians for their "turbulent and violent" early contacts with arriving Europeans. But he says it is hard to judge past actions by today's standards. 
   
   Francis did not specifically use the term American Indians. He said the rights of "those who were here long before us" were not always respected. 
   
   He says that "for those people and their nations," he wants to express his highest esteem and appreciation. 
   
   Francis has been criticized by some Native Americans for his decision to canonize an 18th century missionary, Junipero Serra, on Wednesday. Indigenous groups say Serra was part of the violent colonizing machine that wiped out indigenous populations. Francis has defended Serra as a great evengelizer who protected indigenous peoples from the abuses of colonizers. 
   
   ___ 
   
   10:35 a.m. 
   
   Speaking to Congress, Pope Francis is calling for an end to the death penalty in the U.S. and across the world. 
   
   Francis says that every life is sacred and society can only benefit from rehabilitating those convicted of crimes. 
   
   The pope noted that U.S. bishops have renewed their call to abolish capital punishment. That idea is unpopular, however, with many American politicians. 
   
   The pontiff did not specifically mention abortion — a particularly contentious issue in Congress at the moment that threatens to force the shutdown of the U.S. government next week. 
   
   Still, his remarks referred to the Catholic church's opposition to abortion. He urged lawmakers and all Americans to "protect and defend human life at every stage of its development." 
   
   ___ 
   
   10:30 a.m. 
   
   Pope Francis is urging Congress members — and the United States as a whole — not to be afraid of immigrants but to welcome them as fellow human beings. 
   
   He says people are not things that can be discarded just because they are troublesome. 
   
   The pontiff's admonition comes as the presidential race is roiled by questions about immigration from Mexico and Latin America, and the nation is weighing how many migrants to accept from wars in the Middle East. 
   
   The son of Italian immigrants to Argentina himself, Francis noted that the United States was founded by immigrants, that many lawmakers are descended from foreigners, and that this generation must not "turn their back on our neighbors." 
   
   His plea: "Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated." 
   
   ___ 
   
   10:15 a.m. 
   
   Pope Francis is calling for a "delicate balance" in fighting religious extremism to ensure that fundamental freedoms aren't trampled at the same time. 
   
   He says in his speech to Congress that "no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism." 
   
   He says religious, intellectual and individual freedoms must be safeguarded, while combatting violence perpetrated in the name of religion. 
   
   The pope cautions against simplistically breaking the world into camps of good and evil. 
   
   Francis has expressed deep concern about the slaughter of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East at the hands of Islamic extremists, fearing that the Christian presence in the region is risk. He's dispatched envoys to Iraq with money and other forms of assistance to help refugees. 
   
   ___ 
   
   10:05 a.m. 
   
   Pope Francis has opened his historic speech to Congress by describing himself as a "son of this great continent" joined in a common purpose with America. 
   
   The Argentine-born pope is the first from the Americas. And his speech to Congress is the first by any pontiff. 
   
   A bipartisan group of congressional leaders escorted him up the aisle for his speech in the House chamber, as tens of thousands waited outside. 
   
   ___ 
   
   10:05 a.m. 
   
   Pope Francis has arrived in the House chamber for his speech to Congress. 
   
   The pontiff walked up the aisle to thunderous applause from standing lawmakers, and paused to shake the hand of Secretary of State John Kerry. 
   
   House Speaker John Boehner told lawmakers he had the "high privilege and distinct honor" of presenting the pope. 
   
   ___ 
   
   9:30 a.m. 
   
   With a handshake and a smile, House Speaker John Boehner has welcomed Pope Francis to his ornate ceremonial office in the Capitol prior to the first papal address to Congress in history. 
   
   The Ohio Republican told Francis, "Your Holiness, welcome, really glad that you're here." 
   
   Boehner's eyes moistened as the pope told him he was glad to be there, too. 
   
   The two men then sat next to each other, accompanied by Vatican and church officials and Boehner aides. 
   
   Boehner told the pontiff that his staff had urged him to wear the green tie he was sporting. That drew a compliment from Francis, delivered through an interpreter. 
   
   The interpreter told Boehner, "He says it's a tie with the color of hope." 
   
   Before the pope's arrival, Boehner told those waiting with him that the pope's visit was "a big deal" for him, as a Catholic. 
   
   ___ 
   
   9:20 a.m. 
   
   Pope Francis met briefly with House Speaker John Boehner in an opening act of his historic visit to Congress. 
   
   Awaiting the pope's arrival, Boehner repeatedly straightened his tie and shifted from foot to foot, and joked and chatted with reporters about the history of the House furnishings. Their visit lasted only a few minutes. Tens of thousands wait outside, with lawmakers and guests seated in the House chamber for the first speech by a pope to Congress. 
   
   ___ 
   
   8:50 a.m. 
   
   The pope greeted well-wishers outside the Vatican's diplomatic mission on his way to his historic visit to Congress. 
   
   As he did Wednesday, Francis lingered with the excited crowd outside the mission, on another sunny day. Tens of thousands await him on Capitol Hill. 
   
   The pope shook hands and touched the faces of schoolchildren, dressed up in ties or Sunday dresses. As the pope moved past, one young boy shouted, "Oh yeah! I got a selfie." 
   
   After his speech to Congress, Francis is expected to go to the Hall of Statues, where there is a statue of America's newest saint, Junipero Serra, whom Francis canonized on Wednesday. 
   
   Joined by House Speaker John Boehner, he'll then offer to the Library of Congress a special edition of the Bible. Then he's to go to a balcony to greet and offer a benediction to the throngs below. 
   
   ___ 
   
   8:30 a.m. 
   
   The Federal Aviation Administration is reminding people that Washington, New York and Philadelphia are no-drone zones during the pope's visit to the U.S. 
   
   The FAA has put in flight restrictions through Sunday. That means flying a drone or unmanned aircraft anywhere in those cities is against the law and may result in criminal or civil charges. 
   
   Pope Francis leaves Washington on Thursday for New York and goes to Philadelphia on Saturday. 
   
   ___ 
   
   8:20 a.m. 
   
   House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is bringing Tom Steyer, who's a California-based environmentalist and top Democratic donor, and Marc Benioff, a business software CEO, to the House gallery for the pope's speech. 
   
   Among other guests, she's also invited Mary Kay Henry, international president of the Service Employees International Union, and Matilda Cuomo, mother of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and widow of former Gov. Mario Cuomo. 
   
   ___ 
   
   8:15 a.m. 
   
   Security is tight at the Capitol as crowds gather for Pope Francis' arrival. 
   
   Streets are closed within a three-block radius of the Capitol and police advise visitors to avoid driving to the scene. The city's subway was packed with riders hours before his speech to Congress but few delays were reported. 
   
   Police are visible throughout the Capitol complex and visitors are encountering a series of security checkpoints. 
   
   ___ 
   
   8:10 a.m. 
   
   "Mr. Speaker, the pope of the Holy See!" 
   
   Those booming words will announce Pope Francis as he arrives for his historic speech as the first pontiff to address a joint session of Congress. 
   
   The man who will perform the ceremonial call is more accustomed to protecting famous people than introducing them. 
   
   Paul Irving spent his career in the Secret Service. He was a special agent for 25 years and the service's assistant director from 2001 to 2008. 
   
   Speaker John Boehner chose him as House sergeant-at-arms in 2012. 
   
   When he's not introducing dignitaries before Congress, his main duty is to oversee security in the House side of the Capitol. 
   
   ___ 
   
   8:05 a.m. 
   
   Tens of thousands already are gathering on the front lawn of the Capitol to watch the pope's speech on Jumbotron screens and maybe catch a glimpse of Francis. He is expected to wave from a balcony a few hundred yards away. 
   
   Libby Miller of Frederick, Maryland, says her friends all told her she was crazy for schlepping to Capitol Hill with her 4-year-old son, Camden, and 2-year-old daughter, Avery. 
   
   She left the house before 5 a.m. and settled into a spot on the lawn by 7:30 a.m., about two hours before the pope's scheduled arrival. And she was prepared to keep her kids occupied — iPad loaded with games, toy trucks, snacks and a sippy cup. 
   
   Miller says she wants her kids to be there for an important moment in history. They won't understand it now, but she says "they'll get it eventually." 
   
   ___ 
   
   7:45 a.m. 
   
   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is marking Pope Francis' visit to the Capitol in the modern way: on YouTube. 
   
   The Kentucky Republican says in a video Thursday morning that Francis' elevation to pope "heralded a new beginning for Catholics in Kentucky, across America and from every corner of the world." 
   
   McConnell praises the pope's "unique and engaging style" and says Americans have watched the pope reach new and different audiences, "both from within his flock and far beyond it." 
   
   ___ 
   
   7:30 a.m. 
   
   Joint gatherings of Congress for dignitaries' speeches are usually a recipe for competing partisan ovations and chummy backslaps and handshakes. 
   
   This time, House and Senate leaders have asked lawmakers: Please, not when the pope is here. 
   
   The leaders sent an appeal to lawmakers in advance of Pope Francis' speech Thursday morning, asking them to act with decorum in his presence. Among the no-no's — reaching out for handshakes or conversation with the pope and those accompanying him as they walk down the center aisle of the grand House chamber. 
   
   To drum the lesson in, the leaders' letter reminded legislators that the historic event will be seen on television "around the whole world and by many of our constituents." 
   
   Leaders have made similar appeals for State of the Union addresses, with little luck. 
   
   ___ 
   
   7 a.m. 
   
   With his speech Thursday morning, Francis will become the first pope to address Congress. But the list of foreign leaders and dignitaries who've done so is long. 
   
   The House historian's office says it's happened 117 previous times. 
   
   Francis won't be the first religious leader to address the House and Senate. Technically that was Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, since the British monarch heads the Anglican Church. 
   
   The most addresses to Congress? Three, by both British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 
   
   The historian's office lists the first such speech in 1874. That's when Congress heard King Kalakaua of Hawaii, still an independent kingdom then. 
   
   The first speech by a foreign leader to lawmakers was in 1824 by the Marquis de Lafayette, the French general who helped the colonies win independence. But he addressed only the House. 
   
   ___ 
   
   6:45 a.m. 
   
   Francis' speech to Congress is a personal and political coup for House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican and Catholic. 
   
   Boehner unsuccessfully invited the two previous popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, to speak. He began trying in 1994 during his second House term, organizing a petition by lawmakers saying John Paul II was a "world leader, ambassador of peace and an important catalyst in the fall of the Iron Curtain." 
   
   Francis is the fourth pope to meet with a president in the U.S., including presidential visits on six separate trips by John Paul II. 
   
   The first was Paul VI's 1965 New York meeting with President Lyndon Johnson. Benedict XVI met President George W. Bush in 2008. 
   
   Francis' coming speech at the United Nations will be the fifth by a pope. 
   
   ___ ||||| Justice Pope Francis Tells Congress To Abolish The Death Penalty CREDIT: AP Photo/Alex Brandon 
   
   In his first ever visit to the U.S. and first speech ever to Congress, Pope Francis called on the nation’s hundreds of representatives to make the death penalty a thing of the past. 
   
   “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,” he said. “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.” 
   
   Pope Francis said his stance on the issue stems from belief in the Golden Rule, continuing: “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.” 
   
   Sitting in the House chambers listening to the speech were several members of the U.S. Supreme Court, which earlier this year issued an opinion upholding the use of a controversial lethal injection drug used in several drawn out, painful, botched executions. The decision went beyond allowing the continued use of a method some consider torture, but defended the entire concept of the death penalty as immune to legal challenge. 
   
   Yet one of the Court’s most devout Catholic members, Justice Antonin Scalia, recently suggested they could soon reconsider. Speaking to students at Rhodes College, Scalia said at least four of his colleagues believe the death penalty to be unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment, which bans cruel and unusual punishment. 
   
   The Holy See’s call for death penalty abolition is also likely to energize the millions of American church-goers who agree with him, and who have been pushing across the country for a more humane criminal justice system. Faith-based activism, particularly from Catholics, played a major role in Nebraska passing a bill to end the death penalty earlier this year. ||||| Pope Francis on Thursday exhorted the United States to summon a “spirit of cooperation” to help the poor, save the climate and address the “unjust structures” that he said are afflicting the globe. 
   
   Delivering the first-ever papal address to a joint session of Congress, Francis lived up to his reputation as a provocative figure, at one point denouncing the global arms industry as being fueled by “money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood.” 
   
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   Invoking Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Francis made an impassioned plea for the refugees fleeing Syria, saying the crisis is “of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War.” 
   
   Noting his own status as “the son of immigrants,” the pope pivoted to a more sensitive subject: The flow of illegal immigrants across the United States's southern border. 
   
   He urged compassion for immigrants, warning not to repeat “the sins and the errors of the past” by turning them away. 
   
   “On 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,” Francis said, according to his prepared remarks. 
   
   “Let us remember the golden rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’ ” he added. 
   
   “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.” 
   
   Several Democrats applauded as Francis declared, "We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners." 
   
   
   
   Most Republicans did not join in the applause, with GOP presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioRubio unveils bill to strengthen security at Cuban airports Dem senator calls on Congress to oppose Trump's pick for NASA chief Jeff Flake knows the GOP is in trouble, and so does the base MORE (R-Fla.), a son of Cuban immigrants, among the exceptions. 
   
   At the outset of his address, Francis urged lawmakers and the tens of thousands watching from the National Mall to reject a blind adherence to ideology, be it religion or capitalism. 
   
   “We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. … A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms.” 
   
   Citing heavily from his June encyclical on climate change, Francis argued that lawmakers have a responsibility to take steps to address global warming. 
   
   “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,” the pope said. “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.” 
   
   The climate remarks drew a moment of partisanship into the chamber, with many Democrats jumping to their feet to applaud and most Republicans staying in their seats, silent. 
   
   Francis’s decision to only briefly mention climate change may have fallen short of some lawmakers’ expectations. Rep. Paul Gosar Paul Anthony GosarGOP lawmaker spars with CNN reporter over Charlottesville conspiracy theories Flake's exit gives GOP new hope in Arizona Ex-Arizona GOP chair inches closer to bid for Flake's seat MORE (R-Ariz.), a Catholic, announced last week that he would boycott the speech to protest the pope’s views on climate change, arguing that Francis is acting like a “leftist politician.” 
   
   Capitol Hill gave Francis a rock-star welcome Thursday morning. The complex was buzzing with activity well before sunrise as security personnel, staffers, reporters and guests gathered well ahead of the pope’s arrival at 9:15 a.m. 
   
   Before the speech, Francis met privately with Speaker John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerThe original Tea Partier exits, stage right A tyranny of the minority is raising your health care costs Rivalry on right emerges between ‘the two Marks’ MORE (R-Ohio), a Catholic and the person who had extended the invitation to address Congress. 
   
   “Your holiness, welcome, really glad that you’re here,” John Boehner John Andrew BoehnerThe original Tea Partier exits, stage right A tyranny of the minority is raising your health care costs Rivalry on right emerges between ‘the two Marks’ MORE told Francis, eyes welling up as the pope returned the sentiment. 
   
   The Speaker told Francis he wore a green tie for the event at the urging of his staff. Through an interpreter, the pope replied, “It’s a tie with the color of hope.” 
   
   “I need a lot of hope today,” Boehner replied. 
   
   Francis strode to the dais in the House without stopping to greet individual lawmakers, though he did stop to shake the hand of Secretary of State John Kerry John Forbes KerryBrent Budowsky: Trump debases the nation Time to put Hillary to bed Susan Rice responds to praise of Trump's Iran deal speech: 'BS' MORE. Lawmakers had been advised before the speech that the pope must initiate all handshakes. 
   
   The Vatican kept a remarkably tight lid on the contents of Francis’s address despite the anticipation leading up to the event. Some Republican lawmakers had hoped Francis would mention abortion as Congress debates defunding Planned Parenthood while trying to avoid a government shutdown next week. 
   
   Before arriving in the United States, Francis told reporters it is a mistake to view him as “leftish.” Yet two issues where the Republican Party is in step with the Vatican — opposition to abortion rights and same-sex marriage — received only a passing mention from Francis. 
   
   “The golden rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development,” Francis said, reiterating the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty. 
   
   Referring obliquely to same-sex marriage, the pope also said he 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.” 
   
   Francis, who played an important role in reestablishing ties between the U.S. and Cuba, made no direct reference to the normalized relations between the two countries. His address came two days after he visited Cuba, before his trip to the U.S., which includes stops in New York City and Philadelphia. 
   
   And while the Vatican had offered an endorsement of the Iran nuclear deal earlier this month, Francis did not make a pointed reference to that controversial accord. 
   
   “I would like to recognize 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,” he said. 
   
   The pope's sharpest rhetoric was aimed at military-industrial complexes across the world that he argued are using war for profit. 
   
   “Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? 
   
   “In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade,” he said. 
   
   Francis did not use one particularly sharp line in his prepared remarks, which had warned politics cannot be a "slave to the economy and finance.” 
   
   Throughout his address Francis referred back to the “fundamental values which will endure forever in the spirit of the American people.” 
   
   “Politics is ... an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: That of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life. 
   
   “I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves,” he added, “but I encourage you in this effort.” 
   
   After the speech, Francis ascended a platform to address the crowd gathered on the Capitol's West lawn, with Boehner and Vice President Biden at his side. 
   
   "I'm so grateful for your presence here. ... And I ask you all please, to pray for me, and if there are among you any who do not believe, or cannot pray, I ask you please to send good wishes my way." 
   
   
   
   "Thank you very much, and God bless America." 
   
   As he turned to depart, Biden was heard on a microphone telling Francis: "They love you, and we love you." 
   
   — This story was last updated at 5:20 p.m. Jordain Carney contributed. 
   
   ||||| Pope Francis: Congress needs to help nation grow Thursday, 24 Sep 2015 | 10:04 AM ET | 04:31 
   
   In a historic presentation to Congress, Pope Francis urged lawmakers on Thursday to take "courageous actions" on global warming, poverty and the refugee crisis. 
   
   "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," the pope said in his prepared speech to a joint meeting of Congress. 
   
   
   
   The speech was the first time a pope had addressed Congress. 
   
   "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," the pope said in his prepared remarks. ||||| Toward the end of Pope Francis’ speech to Congress, the pontiff mentions his desire that “the family should be a recurrent theme” through his visit to the United States. He then makes what is almost certainly an allusion to same-sex marriage, stating: 
   
   This oblique criticism may disappoint Pope Francis’ liberal supporters—but it's entirely in keeping with his views on gay rights. The pope briefly encouraged LGBTQ advocates in 2013 when he responded to a question about gay priests by asking, “Who am I to judge?” But if the pope’s discourse on gay people seems progressive, his actual views remain aligned with Catholic orthodoxy. Francis doesn’t really support civil unions or same-sex adoption, and he definitely opposes same-sex marriage, which he allegedly called “anthropological regression.” His description of gay people may be humble and inclusive, but his true views are staunchly conservative. Much of Francis’ speech may have made congressional Republicans uncomfortable. But his “concern for the family” should make them feel right at home.
target: – Pope Francis hit a wide-ranging number of topics in his address to Congress today. Here are five getting attention: Death penalty: He implored Congress to abolish it, reports ThinkProgress. “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." Immigrants: He invoked MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech in asking the US to be more welcoming not only to refugees from Europe but from Mexico as well, reports the Hill. "On 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?" Marriage: In what Slate says is "almost certainly an allusion" to gay marriage, Francis lamented the state of the modern family. It is "threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without," he said. "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." Climate change: He said the US has an "important role to play" in reversing the "environmental deterioration caused by human activity," reports CNBC. "Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies." Arms trade: He told lawmakers from the world's largest exporter of weapons that the arms trade must end, reports the AP. Why do weapons get sold to war mongers? he asked. "Sadly, the answer as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. ... It is our duty to confront the problem."