For the first time in his life Jorge Mario Bergoglio, more commonly known as Pope Francis, traveled to the United States of America. Millions traveled far and wide to come see Pope Francis’s arrival to the United States in September of 2015.

In just one city, over 50,000 people waited for hours outside of the Capitol to see His Holiness. Magazines everywhere had covers and articles talking about Pope Francis. So why was he not talked about at Gustavus? After all, he made ear-catching points about global warming, immigration, and many other issues that are commonly debated among Gusties.

Gustavus welcomes everyone, no matter the race, religion, or gender. But it seems that sometimes some groups get more publicity than others. Over 1.2 billion Catholics across the world marvel at the Pope, making Catholicism the largest monotheistic religion today.

Many Christians, who are not Catholic, also take joy in the Pope’s message and presence. One of the reasons may be because there are recordings of every pope since the time of Jesus. This fact brings together many Christian religions because of their shared love for Jesus Christ.

But the Pope is not just important because of religious purposes. During his speeches throughout his United States visit he made excellent remarks about the treatment of children of the world, immigration, saving the planet, and even the death penalty. Here are some of his most memorable quotes from his different stops throughout the US.

“Every life is sacred… Society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes.”

“Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity. A selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available resources and the exclusion of the weak.”

Gustavus welcomes everyone, no matter the race, religion, or gender. But it seems that sometimes some groups get more publicity than others.

“We, the people of this continent are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners.”

My personal favorite is his quote in regards to the protection of our country’s beloved children.

“The crimes and sins of the sexual abuse of children must no longer be held in secret. I pledge the zealous vigilance of the Church to protect children, and the promise of accountability for all.”

The Pope is not just important because of religious purposes.

There are approximately four hundred and fifty students at Gustavus that are Catholic. There are even religion classes offered at Gustavus that are focused on Catholicism.

However, when the Pope visited the U.S. not much was said around campus about him. With such a large number of Catholic students on campus you’d think he would be talked about. The Pope is a very important person, and whether you are a Christian or not, he makes excellent points.

There are many people in the world who have different religious backgrounds that still influence our lives. With this I encourage you to read some of the Pope’s works and try to live in the lightness of God, just as he does.