Pope Francis greets schoolchildren upon departure from the Vatican Embassy in Washington on the third day of his first visit to the United States September 24, 2015.GARY CAMERON/Reuters
Pope Francis was poised Thursday to deliver a sermon that will discomfit many Republicans – preaching about the perils of climate change and urging that immigrants from Latin America be welcomed with open arms – in the first-ever address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress by the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Huge crowds filled the lawn west of the Capitol, and the Pope was expected to speak to them after his historic address to Congress.
But the Pope's message about the threat posed to the planet by burning fossil fuels had so irked some Republicans that they were complaining even before it was delivered.
By contrast, President Barack Obama, who welcomed the Pope when he arrived Tuesday from Cuba and hosted him Wednesday at the White House, has been basking in the broad support voiced by Francis for his efforts on climate change.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, a Tea Party favourite among the 15 Republicans vying for the party's 2016 presidential nomination, said the Pope should focus on stopping abortions and protecting religious liberty instead of protecting the environment.
"I'm hopeful the Pope will encourage us to stop the killing of one million American babies each year and end the criminalization of Christianity in this country – which Obama can control, instead of global weather patterns, which Obama cannot," Mr. Huckabee said.
At least one Republican was planning to boycott the Pope's address. Arizona Representative Paul Gosar said he would stay away because the Pope should not "prioritize climate change over speaking out against religious intolerance happening across the world."
But Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican and former Catholic choir boy who invited Pope Francis to Congress, said the visit was a time to put aside partisan bitterness.
"The Pope transcends all of this," Mr. Boehner said. "He appeals to our better angels and brings us back to our daily obligations. The best thing we can all do is listen, open our hearts to his message and reflect on his example."
Several presidential hopefuls will be among those attending the address, including Republican senators Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz, as well as neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
Vermont Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders was also expected to attend, but not the party's frontrunner, Hillary Clinton.
Tens of thousands of spectators were expected to watch from the West Lawn of the Capitol. The packed House of Representatives chamber was to include Supreme Court justices, cabinet officials, diplomats and lawmakers.
In advance of his address, the Pope gave little indication about whether he would wade into some of the most divisive issues.
"I hope, as a brother of this country, to offer words of encouragement to those called to guide the nation's political future in fidelity to its founding principles," he said.
On Wednesday he was cheered by jubilant crowds as he visited the White House, paraded around the Ellipse and spoke to U.S. bishops at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. Francis emphasized one of the defining messages of his papacy: to focus less on defending church teaching and more on compassion. The Pope told the American church leaders that "harsh and divisive language does not befit the tongue of a pastor" and he encouraged them to speak with anyone, no matter their views.
After a private meeting in the Oval Office, Mr. Obama gave the Pope a sculpture of an ascending dove made from metal taken from the Statue of Liberty and wood that once grew in the White House garden.
With files from Reuters and The Associated Press