Rep. Paul Gosar Thursday called Pope Francis' speech to Congress "a missed opportunity" for the pontiff to urge Americans to stop persecution against Christians and the sale of fetal body parts.
Gosar, an Arizona Republican who is Catholic, boycotted the actual speech in the chamber, but watched it on television and later read a transcript, he told Newsmax in a statement.
"Much of his speech was uplifting, such as focusing on the importance of family as the foundation for our society," he said.
"However, this was a missed opportunity, by one of the world’s most powerful voices for good, to specifically challenge Congress and the American people to take action against the horrific slaughter of Christians and non-Christians throughout the Middle East, as well as to put a stop to the trafficking of unborn baby parts."
In his remarks, Pope Francis, 78, called on Americans to end hostility toward immigrants and urged Congress to embrace efforts to stop climate change.
The pontiff, leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, was the first pope to ever address Congress.
Gosar said last week that
he would skip the speech in protest of a pope who talks "like a leftist politician" on climate change and other issues.
"Religious tolerance and the right to life are not only Catholic teachings, but also fundamental American principles immortalized in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution," he told Newsmax.
"My decision not to attend the pope’s address was made to bring awareness to these critical issues, which deserve priority over climate change."
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