Pope Francis to address UN General Assembly during US visit

Lucinda Borkett-Jones

Pope Francis will address the United Nations General Assembly on his first papal visit to the United States in September, the UN announced yesterday.

The pontiff will also meet privately with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the President of the General Assembly Sam Kahamba Kutesa during his visit.

"The Secretary-General is confident that His Holiness Pope Francis' visit will inspire the international community to redouble its efforts to achieve human dignity for all through ensuring greater social justice, tolerance and understanding among all of the world's peoples" yesterday's statement said.

In February it was announced that Francis will also address Congress in Washington during his five-day trip to the US (22-27 September). He will be the first pope to do so.

However, Francis is not the first pope to address the General Assembly. Pope Paul VI addressed the assembly in 1965, Pope John Paul II did so in 1979 and 1995, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2008, during his only US visit.

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