Pope's Address to Congress - Video and Transcript

[SaintSebastian]

As great as it would be to see the Pope give some fire and brimstone speech and get booed out of Congress, I'm not surprised it was generally a bland and inoffensive talk.

Even Archbishop "Dagger" John Hughes, when invited by some Christian Congressman to give a Sunday Sermon in the Capitol (back when they did such things!),  just talked about things his audience would all agree on, explicitly saying that was his purpose:

"Beloved brethren, it was at quite a late period of the week that I was honored with the invitation, which I prize so highly, to address you from this place. I had already consented to speak in one of our churches, where my presence would be more natural and more expected; and for that place I had prepared, by reflection, some remarks on a subject which I would not deem suitable, on the present occasion; for I should feel that I corresponded but poorly to a compliment so much to be valued, if I could obtrude upon you any reflections or arguments upon those doctrinal subjects, which to too great an extent, have divided the Christian world."