24th September, 2015
Pope Francis has called for greater action on climate change, saying the world was at “a critical moment of history,” on the first day of his visit to the US.
Speaking to a crowd of more than 11,000 people on the White House South Lawn, the pontiff – speaking halting English, not his native language – told US President Barack Obama he was encouraged by the president’s proposed initiative to reduce air pollution and said the issue of climate change could “no longer be left to a future generation".
"When it comes to the care of our common home we are living at a critical moment of history," he said. We still have time to make the changes needed…for we know that things can change."
Pope Francis said humanity "has the ability to work together in building our common home". "As Christians inspired by this certainty, we wish to commit ourselves to the conscious and responsible care of our common home.”
Pope Francis also touched on a range of other issues during his speech including immigration, tolerance and freedom and poverty and called for the international community to protect the "vulnerable".
Later, Pope Francis named 18th-Century missionary Junipero Serra a saint in a move which was reportedly welcomed by Hispanic Catholics but criticised by some Native Americans. Serra, who lived in what is now California, is the first person to be made a saint in the US.
Pope Francis, who arrived in the US after visiting Cuba where he met former leader Fidel Castro, arrived in the US on Tuesday and, as well as Washington, will visit New York and Philadelphia.
– DAVID ADAMS
