This week in Christian history: Pope Francis addresses Congress, Johann Agricola dies

Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to address Congress – Sept. 24, 2015

This week marks the anniversary of when Pope Francis addressed a joint session of Congress, becoming the first head of the Roman Catholic Church to do so.

Invited by then-Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, to give the address, Francis implored elected officials to defend life at all stages of development, share their wealth, oppose persecution, welcome immigrants and protect the environment.

“Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility. Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation,” the then-pontiff said.

“You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics.”

Francis went on to declare that “political activity must serve and promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his or her dignity.”

“If politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the economy and finance,” he added. “Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good.”