Swalwell reflects on Pope Francis’ historic address to a Joint Meeting of Congress
Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15) today released the following statement after his Holiness Pope Francis' historic address to a Joint Meeting of Congress. Swalwell brought Father Geoffrey Baraan of St. Anne Parish in Union City as his special guest to the address.
"At a time when great challenges face our country, Congress needed Pope Francis' refreshing call to service. His Holiness reminded us of our great responsibility to those we serve, to protect the poor and vulnerable, to strive for justice, and live by the Golden Rule.
"As representatives in the world's oldest democracy, Pope Francis challenged Congress to take bold actions to address climate change, change the tone on immigration, and end the cycle of poverty in the world's richest nation. We would be wise to heed to the Pontiff's call, and have the courage to be political leaders who build bridges, begin dialogues and enable opportunities for all.
"As Pope Francis said, ‘legislative activity is always based on the care of the people.' As we grapple with many big decisions in the coming weeks, I hope we can put people first in every decision we make."
Congressman Swalwell and Father Geoffrey Baraan of St. Anne Parish