Cory Booker: “in the coming days we know that we are going to have an extraordinary visit. This is a historic occasion. We are going…”

“in the coming days we know that we are going to have an extraordinary visit. This is a historic occasion. We are going to gather both Houses of Congress to hear from Pope Francis. During his time in the United States, Pope Francis has chosen to do something that I think is extraordinary--to visit with the imprisoned. In his address here, he may or may not discuss the American criminal justice system, but this visit alone, which speaks to something deep within the Catholic faith, deep within the Christian religion, reflected in Matthew 25: ``I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'' This step by the Pope, to me, is an extraordinary accomplishment in bringing a further highlight to the challenges we have in the United States with our criminal justice system. The Pope has predicated his time as Pope on an ideal of mercy. His motto, ``miserando atque eligendo,'' which translates to ``to be shown mercy and be chosen,'' to me is extraordinary. I actually believe the Pope and what he is doing resonates not just in a religious sense with the Christian faith but in the American sense with our shared collective values. I have taken the time to speak on the Senate floor on numerous occasions about our criminal justice system from many perspectives, but on this occasion, I would like to talk about those moral values which do not divide us as a nation but unite us.…”