Pope Francis calls for action on climate change， meets Obama 교황， 기후변화•이민문제 정면

Pope Francis， who′s visiting the U.S. this week... is now set to make the first papal speech to the U.S. Congress. On Wednesday，... the pontiff spoke to a crowd of more than fifteen－thousand people... on a series of pressing issues like immigration and climate change. Oh Soo－young has the details. It was a busy first day in the United States for Pope Francis，... where he spoke on a number of pressing societal issues. Addressing a crowd of thousands at the White House on Wednesday， the pope called for urgent action on tackling climate change， saying it can no longer be left to a future generation. He said there had to be a serious and responsible recognition of the conditions facing the world′s children. He also called on the U.S. to protect religious liberties，... saying it was one of America′s most precious possessions. The pope also encouraged the nation to build an inclusive society by welcoming immigrants. After his address， officials say Pope Francis held private talks with President Obama for about forty minutes. Later in the day， at the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Washington， the pontiff touched upon the controversial sexual scandal involving members of the Catholic Church. ″I know how much the pain of recent years has weighed upon you， and I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims ... and to work to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated.″ The pope may meet with victims of sexual abuse over the next few days. The Vatican，... however，... says it will announce the meetings after they are held to protect the victims′ privacy. This is the first time in seven years that a papal visit has been made to the U.S. For the rest of his trip， the Holy Father will tour various landmarks in New York City and Philadelphia. He will make the first ever papal speech to the U.S. Congress on Thursday followed by another speech the UN General Assembly on Friday. Oh Soo－young， Arirang News.