Pope Francis gave world leaders a sweeping moral lecture on Friday before the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, covering poverty, climate change, drug trafficking, the spread of nuclear weapons and other issues.
He reminded his audience again and again to consider that their decisions affect real people, and that individuals should always come before political concerns.
Below are some of the main points.
Climate change
Throughout the speech, Francis emphasized the need to battle climate change.
“Any harm done to the environment is harm done to humanity," Francis said. "Every creature -- particularly every living creature -- has an intrinsic value.”
Man is "not authorized to abuse it, and much less is he authorized to destroy it," @Pontifex says of humankind's relationship w/ enviro.— Andrew Freedman (@afreedma) September 25, 2015
Francis labeled the environment a gift from a higher power, one which humanity doesn't have the right to degrade.
He also spoke of his hopes for the coming Paris climate summit in November but warned that “solemn commitments, however, are not enough, even though they are a necessary step toward solutions.”
.@Pontifex at UN warns that mismanagement of Earth's resources by humankind threatens very "existence" of our species.— Andrew Freedman (@afreedma) September 25, 2015
Drug trafficking
Francis also addressed the need to stop drug trafficking, what he called a "silent war" that he says inevitably leads to violations of humanity.
Pope condemns drug trafficking "silently killing millions of people" and generating human trafficking, money laundering, the arms trade, etc— Robert Mickens (@robinrome) September 25, 2015
Poverty
The pope spoke of poverty in terms of economic exclusion, talking of the many who don't have the opportunity to, as he said, "be agents of their own destiny."
Pope Francis condemns consequences of economic exclusion: human trafficking, organ trade, slave labor, drug trade. #PopeatUN— Matthew Hadro (@matthadro) September 25, 2015
Right to education
Education is often the foundation on which people can build their own destinies, Francis said, arguing that people everywhere have a right to education. He pointed out this right includes girls, who are often excluded. As he mentioned the right to education, many cameras at the United Nations panned to Malala Yousafzai, the 18-year-old Pakistani woman and Nobel laureate who has become a global force pushing for the expansion of the right to education for girls. Malala clapped in approval.
TODAYshow: Malala Yousafzai watching Pope Francis speak at the UN #PopeinNYC pic.twitter.com/uAKvp1L8t0— NBC fan (@NbcWashFan) September 25, 2015
Nuclear arms
The pope endorsed the Iran nuclear deal that the United States and Iran recently agreed on.
.@Pontifex endorses Iran nuclear deal. "I express my hope that this agreement will be lasting and efficacious..."— Andrew Freedman (@afreedma) September 25, 2015
But his message wasn't full of praise for the U.S. And he called for the elimination of all nuclear arms, and talked about the irony of peace built upon the fear of mutual destruction.
"An ethics and a law based on the threat of mutual destruction --and possibly the destruction of all mankind--are self-contradictory and an affront to the entire framework of the United Nations, which would end up as nations united by fear and distrust," Francis said. "There is urgent need to work for a world free of nuclear weapons."