Pope Francis urges action on climate change on visit to US

Pope Francis has called for further action on climate change saying that it was "a critical moment of history", on the first day of his visit to the US.
Speaking to a crowd of more than 11,000 people on the White House South Lawn, the pontiff said the problem could "no longer be left to a future generation".

President Barack Obama said the Pope reminded people that “we have a sacred obligation to protect our planet".
The Pope will later conduct the first canonisation on US soil.
Following the speech, the two leaders met behind closed doors in the Oval Office.
Speaking in English - one of the few times the Argentine pontiff is expected to do so during the week's many events - Pope Francis praised President Obama for recent proposals aimed at tackling air pollution.
Time remains to make the changes required, the Pope said, in a speech that also called for protecting religious liberty and stamping out discrimination.
The environmental issue is a divisive one in US politics and one Republican congressman is expected to be boycotting the Pope's speech to Congress today, Thursday because of the pontiff's stance.
The BBC reports that all the leading Republican presidential candidates oppose action to tackle climate change because they say it will hurt the economy.

The morning began with the pontiff emerging from the Apostolic Nunciature - the Holy See's equivalent of an embassy - around 0900 local time (1400 BST).
Clad in his traditional white cassock, Pope Francis spent several minutes greeting well-wishers who had assembled behind temporary fencing in front of the diplomatic complex.

After shaking hands and giving hugs and kisses to the largely young crowd, the pope boarded a modest hatchback trailed by a convoy of large security vehicles and made the 15-minute drive through Washington on streets that had been cleared of traffic for the occasion.
At the White House large crowds gathered on the South Lawn to greet the pontiff. Officials said over 11,000 tickets had been issued, but noted that the crowd was even larger.

A cadre of Obama administration officials and a military colour guard flanked a stage set up outside the South Portico - among the most rare and respectful diplomatic ceremonies that the US government can offer visiting dignitaries.
Following a military colour guard and the playing of the Holy See and US national anthems, President Obama welcomed the pope with brief remarks.

The canonisation will be part of a Spanish-language Mass to be held at the largest Roman Catholic church in North America, and will elevate to sainthood the Spanish missionary who brought Christianity to what is now the US west coast.