Lujan Grisham Praises Pope's Call for Hope and Healing

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham released the following statement today in response to His Holiness Pope Francis' address to a Joint Session of Congress:

"Pope Francis delivered a much-needed message to Congress today, reminding us of our social responsibility to those who elected us, and also as citizens of the world, to ‘defend and preserve the dignity’ of our fellow citizens, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

"I appreciated the Pope’s call for us to guard against fundamentalism, extremism and righteous claims of good or evil, while at the same time ‘safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms.’

"The Holy Father’s call for hope and healing should apply to all of us, and inspire us in our daily lives to work together for the common good. The Pope’s message is particularly relevant as we respond to the refugee crisis in Europe, and as we struggle to come to grips with immigration along our southern border. I wholeheartedly agree with Pope Francis, who urged us to be open to immigrants and refugees as persons, not numbers.

"I know I was profoundly affected by the Holy Father’s message. I hope everyone will take his message to heart and find something they can do as individuals to make a difference in the world, including in our own communities."

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