Sep 24, 2015 - The following is the full text of Pope Francis's speech to Congress delivered Thursday in Washington.
EXCERPT:
All of us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing
social and political situation of the world today. Our world is
increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities,
committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no
religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological
extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type
of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. 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. But
there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the
simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will,
the righteous and sinners. The contemporary world, with its open wounds
which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we
confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two
camps. We know that in the attempt to be freed of the enemy without, we
can be tempted to feed the enemy within. To imitate the hatred and
violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place.
That is something which you, as a people, reject.
Our response
must instead be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are
asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today’s many
geopolitical and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the
effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our
efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining
commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of
peoples. We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of
fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.
The
challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of
cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history
of the United States. The complexity, the gravity and the urgency of
these challenges demand that we pool our resources and talents, and
resolve to support one another, with respect for our differences and our
convictions of conscience.
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You all should really be ashamed of yourselves!
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