Pope Francis is the first pontiff ever to address Congress

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, will address a joint meeting of Congress on Sept. 24 of this year, House Speaker John Boehner confirmed on Thursday, Feb. 5. This is the first time a leader of the Roman Catholic church has done so.

Though the Pope’s visit to the East Coast (including Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and New York) has been publicized, Boehner’s announcement was the first word that Francis was coming and an official date was set.

“We’re humbled that the Holy Father has accepted our invitation and certainly look forward to receiving his message on behalf of the American people,” said Boehner, who is Catholic and had asked the Pope to come speak at Capitol Hill.

According to the Pew Research Center, 31 percent of Congress members are Catholic, compared with 22 percent of the overall public. The largest denomination in Washington is Protestant, with 57 percent.

During his planned fall trip to the US, Francis will participate in a major Catholic rally/conference for families in Philadelphia. He is also expected to visit President Barack Obama at the White House, and will speak at the United Nations.

It will be Pope Francis’ first visit to the US in a papacy that began two years ago. Along with the release of his encyclical on climate change this June, he has been planning to visit to urge American and world leaders to control global warming ahead of the next round of UN climate change talks coming this fall. The Pope has called global warming “mostly man-made.”

The first pontiff to visit the US was Paul VI, in October 1965. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’ predecessor, also visited Washington and New York to meet with President George W. Bush and celebrate Mass at the Nationals Stadium.

At the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Feb. 5, President Obama said he was looking forward to welcoming the well-liked Pope Francis during his first visit to the United States. “Like so many people around the world, I’ve been touched by his call to relieve suffering, and to show justice, mercy and compassion to the most vulnerable,” he said.

“We are eager to welcome His Holiness to the US Capitol and we look forward to hearing his call to live our values, to protect the poor and the needy, and to promote peace,” said Catholic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

(With reports from Associated Press, Inland Empire Daily Bulletin)