At the end of September, Pope Francis came to the United States, visiting three cities in a span of six days. These cities included: Washington, New York, and Philadelphia. During this time he offered hugs, handshakes, and blessings to the crowds of hundreds of thousands of people.

In Washington, President Obama and Vice President Biden greeted the Pope with their families.  Pope Francis made history and became the first Pope to address Congress. His speech brought Speaker of the House John Boehner to tears. Boehner would later step down as House Speaker after his meeting with the Pope. While in Washington, Francis also canonized Spanish missionary Junipero Serra as a saint.

In New York, the Pope visited the 9/11 memorial, meeting their families and commemorating those who died there. He also visited the U.N. General Assembly. There he told his audience to think of the poor, and stop harming the Earth stating, ““in effect, a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged.”

At his last stop, in Philadelphia, he praised the religious tolerance and immigration present in America’s foundation. The Pope also addressed a topic that has haunted the Catholic Church for years the sex abuse by clergy. He met with 5 victims of this abuse in private and then spoke about the fact that priests who commit this abuse can be forgiven if they are truly open to it.

When his trip came to a close he left with a “heart full of gratitude and hope” and once he landed in Rome, he tweeted “With my heartfelt thanks. May the love of Christ always guide the American people! #GodBlessAmerica.”