Pope Francis' address at the United Nations was not the first that a Pontiff makes from the United Nations rostrum. Other Popes had delivered speeches at the United Nation, namely Pope Paul VI (1965), John Pope II (1979 and 1995) and Benedict XVI (2008). Yet, it is the first time that a Pontiff from the Americas opens the sessions of the UN General Assembly, the first to deliver a speech before heads of state, the first Pontiff to address the US Congress or rather the first clergyman to receive a tumultuous welcome at the "Capitol'' though he proceeded riding a small car.
The world leaders and the people of the United States were looking forward to seeing the innovative Pope. They were also looking forward to listening to his address. He did not fail their expectations. He talked about the role being played by the Christians nowadays, particularly the role of the 70 million Catholic Americans, in disseminating values and experiencing them on daily basis in a multi-racial and democratic society. Prior to that, he talked about the importance of unity and cooperation among the various religions and their followers. This was revealed in the expanded religious meeting which was attended by the Pope at ''Ground Zero'' area and by representatives of religions. All prayed in their own languages and practiced their rituals.
In his address at the Congress, he mentioned four people who influenced the US society through their humanitarian work and openness excluding any person who launched a destructive war. They are namely, Abraham Lincoln who called for freedom; Martin Luther King who "dreamt" of equality; Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement; and Thomas Merton, a priest who lived in the Far East and was known to have respected religions.
King Abdullah II also delivered a speech from the United Nations rostrum. This speech takes place two years after he made a renowned statement that "Jordan is a stable house amidst a conflagrated environs." Thank God that Jordan is still stable five years after he had launched from the same rostrum ''the World Interfaith Harmony Week'' which was adopted by the entire international community.
His Majesty the King presented seven lessons to the international community which serves as a ''roadmap'' for the world to extricate itself from the imbroglio of extremism, bigotry and cancellation of others for the mere reason that they are different. We, in Jordan, have eventually to transform these seven enlightened points into a daily activity, as His Majesty called for a wise manipulation of the social networking means to serve the cause of unity rather than separation, and to instill drops of love rather than venom of hatred.
At the time His Majesty the King was delivering his speech, a Jordanian family was addressing the Pope on behalf of the participants from the Asian continent at the World Meeting of Families which was organized by the Catholic Church. The head of the family, Nodal Sweidan, addressed the world saying: ''We pray for those who suffer because of violence, war, displacement, lack of resources, and religious discrimination, as for those who dress the wounds. I call on all to share in shouldering our burdens him for burns, because in this way the burden becomes lighter while peace and love prevail.''
The humble Pope, the wise King, and the loving Jordanian community… O to those who met on the US soil in one week… thank you for your speeches that emit goodness.
