Pope Francis to Face Divided Congregation From Congressional Pulpit
- Historic address seen as chance to speak to all Americans
- U.S. lawmakers split over abortion, poverty, immigration
Pope Francis greets well-wishers as he leaves the Apostolic Nunciature to the United States to go to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Sept. 23, 2015, in Washington.
Photographer: MOLLY RILEY/AFP/Getty ImagesPope Francis will preach to a less-than-harmonious congregation when he faces a U.S. Congress riven by disputes over issues closest to his heart: income inequality, immigration and climate change.
For the first Latin American pope, this is a chance “to speak to all Americans through their representatives, and not just to Catholics,” according to his spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi. With his speech Thursday, Francis will become the first pontiff to address Congress -- which is mired in a dispute over abortion that threatens to shut the government.