Before a Congress once again fighting over abortion, Pope Francis emphasized his priorities on Thursday. He had roughly 10 times more to say about the needs of the poor than the morality of reproduction.
In fact, the pope barely even mentioned the latter subject. In a speech of some 3,404 words, he never actually said "abortion" and uttered just one 21-word sentence that appeared to touch on the topic.
"The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development," Francis said. The sentence came wedged between the pontiff's appeals to Congress to see the human side of the global refugee crisis and to put an end to the death penalty.
On the topic of poverty, Francis had more than 200 words to say.
"I would encourage you to keep in mind all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of poverty," the pontiff said. "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."
To emphasize his point, Francis invoked the spirit of Dorothy Day, an American who co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement and championed laborers and the poor.
"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," the pope said.
Directly after addressing Congress, Francis traveled to St. Patrick's Church and Catholic Charities in Washington. He delivered a prayer blessing at a meal for homeless clients of St. Maria's Meals, a food program. Again, the pope highlighted his commitment to serving the needs of the poor.
"The son of God knew what it was to be a homeless person," Francis said at St. Patrick's. "I want to be very clear. We can't find any social or moral justification, no justification whatsoever for lack of housing."
"[Jesus] tells us this clearly: 'I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,'" the pope said.
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