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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | August 31, 2015 09:48 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Madeleine Dean |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution Welcoming Pope Francis to the United States and Celebrating the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution welcoming Pope Francis to the United States and celebrating the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. As you know, Pope Francis will be visiting the United States for the first time from September 22-27, 2015. The Pope will address a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C., as well as the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Nevertheless, the principal reason for his visit to the United States is to come to Philadelphia to attend the World Meeting of Families and offer a public mass. Pope Francis has revitalized the Catholic Church, confronting many global issues including poverty, economic injustice, education, workers’ rights, sustainable agriculture, and the environment. The new perspective that Pope Francis has brought to the Papacy has reinvigorated the public’s perception of the Pope and has infused new energy into the Catholic Church. Pope Francis has encouraged all individuals, regardless of religious denomination, to restore cultures that promote the bond of family and to stand with less fortunate people who are in need and have been relegated to the margins of society. For Pope Francis, strengthening family life is essential not only to reinforcing the teachings and practices of Catholicism, but also to the moral framework of society. In addition, Pope Francis continues to be a constant advocate for the poor spreading his message of rejecting what he has called the “throwaway culture,” reminding Catholics and non-Catholics to work toward finding solutions to issues such as poverty, which affect every nation. I look forward to the Pope’s visit and his attendance at The World Meeting of Families, a week-long international event of prayer, catechesis, and celebration that draws participants from around the world. The event consists of a Theological Adult Congress and concurrent Youth Congress, followed by a Festival of Families and Papal Mass. I hope you will join with me in recognizing this extraordinary visit and in co-sponsoring this resolution. |
Introduced as HR465