'If you fight amongst yourselves, you will be devoured by those outside': Pope Francis' Address to the United Nations General Assembly

'Any harm done to the environment is harm to humanity.'

Pope Francis joined the largest gathering of presidents and prime ministers ever at the United Nations. Together the world's leaders were to tackle the greatest global crises, including climate change, the war in Syria and the dire refugee crisis.

NEW YORK CITY, NY (Catholic Online) - Today was the first time a pope addressed such a large gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, according to the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, although this is not the first time a Pope has visited the UN.

Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome and Head of the Roman Catholic Church, spoke in the General Assembly before the official start of the global summit meeting where developmental goals are to be adopted.

Prior to his official address, the Holy Father met with Ki-Moon and spoke out to the employees of the United Nations, sending out thanks and blessings.

"Dear fans, good morning," he began in English. "On the occasion of my visit to the United Nations. I am pleased to greet you, the men and women who are in many ways the back bone to this organization. I thank you for your welcome and I am grateful for all you have done to prepare for my visit."

"You are experts and experienced field workers, officials and secretaries ... thank you for all you do. Your quiet and devoted work ... has great significance for you personally, for how we work expresses our dignity and the kind of persons we are."

"Dear friends, I bless each one of you from my hearts," concluded Pope Francis. "I will pray for you and your families, and I ask each one of you to pray for me; and if any of you are not believers, I ask you to wish me well. God bless you all."

Pope Francis was greeted by a hallway full of energetic and excited young people calling out to the Holy Father as he made his way to his next appearance in the UN by golf cart.

"For those of us who cherish the United Nations, this chamber is a sacred place. Never in paper history, has the head of the Catholic Church addressed such an array of world leaders," stated Ki-Moon while introducing Pope Francis to the General Assembly. "Your Holiness, thank you for making history ... Like the United Nations, you are driven by a passion to help others, your views move millions."

Ki Moon continued to express his gratitude for all Pope Francis does for the nations' people. "Pontiff, welcome from all the world. We are here to listen."

Taking the podium, Pope Francis started his address by thanking all those involved with the meeting and for the gratitude expressed.

"This is the fifth time that a pope has visited the United Nations," stated Pope Francis in Spanish, noting on the others who visited and is feelings of appreciation that coincides with theirs.

"I pay homage to all those men and women whose loyalty and self sacrifice have benefited humanity as a whole over these last 70 years," expressed the Pope specifying on those who have lost their lives while serving for peace.

According to Pope Francis, no human, individual or group can consider themselves absolute. He noted on the importance of limitation of power, and an effective distribution of power.

Pope Francis explained the importance in remembering the the human species is a part of the environment we live on, and how necessary it is to take care of the environment.

"Any harm done to the environment is harm to humanity," he stated to the United Nations, noting on how Earth is God's gift and we are "not authorized to abuse it, and much less authorized to destroy it."

The misuse of earth's resources is also seen in the exclusion of the weak, the Pope said. "Economic and social exclusion is in complete denial of human fraternity and a very grave offense against human rights and the environment."

Pope Francis pressed on the dire urgency of action needed, rather than plans created. It's all well and good to create solutions, but until those solutions are carried out successfully, they don't really mean much.

During his speech, he touched on how adopting the developmental goals during the World Summit is a sign of hope and how he has many hopes for the conference on climate change coming up in Paris.

Pope Francis spoke out against many of the grave atrocities that plague today's society throughout the world, including human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissue, slave labor, drug and weapon trade, terrorism and international organized crime.

"The magnitude of these situations and their toll on innocent lives ... we must avoid every temptation to fall into a nominaliztion that will just dissuade your own conscience," he expressed. "We need to assure that our institutions are truly effective in the struggle against all these."

"We are dealing with real men and women ... who live and struggle and are often forced to live in extreme poverty and denied all rights," stated Pope Francis explaining how we need to start allowing "them to be dignified agents of their own destiny."

Pope Francis discussed the importance of education and allowing girls all over the world equal rights as those of boys. He stated that we need to ensure all people have at lease the minimum needs of life. "In practical terms this minimum has three names: lodging labor and land."

We need to create a "common foundation [to] the right to life and more generally what we can call, the right to human nature itself."

"The ecological crisis, together with the large scale destruction of biodiversity, can threaten the very existence of the human species," warned Pope Francis. "The consequences must serve as a summons forthright reflection on man."

The Holy Father spoke against wars and weapons of mass destruction, praising the recent Iran Nuclear Agreement. "War is the negation of all rights and its a dramatic assault on the environment. If we want true internal development for all, we must work tirelessly to avoid war between nations and between people ... there is an urgent need to work for a world free of nuclear weapons ... towards the goal of a complete prohibition of these weapons."

Pope Francis also commented on the violent situation many face from the war on drugs and in countries where cultural and religious minorities are persecuted and forced to flee their homes for survival.

"Human beings ... are easily discarded when our only response is to draw lists of problems strategies and disagreements," stated the Pope. "The most basic understanding of human dignity compels the international community to do all that it can to stop and to prevent further systematic violence against ethnic and religious minorities and to protect innocent peoples."
 
"If you fight amongst yourselves, you will be devoured by those outside."

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