The Vatican's gold-and-white flag was raised outside of the United Nations on Friday morning in honor of Pope Francis's visit, where he addressed a larger gathering of world leaders than any pope has before.
The pope, speaking in Spanish at the General Assembly, reiterated his position on environmental protection and social and economic justice.
While expressing his concern for the proliferation of the nuclear weapons, the pope endorsed the recent Iran nuclear deal, saying it was "proof of the potential of political good will and of law." He said there was an "urgent need" to work for a world free of nuclear weapons.
He stressed the right to education, especially for "girls excluded in some places."
He appealed to the world leaders to address the "painful situation" in the Middle East, North Africa and other African countries, where he said Christians, other minorities and even members of majority religions were facing religious and cultural persecution. He said there were "forced to witness the destruction of their places of worship, their cultural and religious heritage" and were faced with the prospect of becoming refugees or slaves.
He also spoke on the destruction caused by drugs and arms trade as well as human trafficking , child exploitation and money laundering, describing it as a "another kind of war."
The pope also warned of the dangers of seeking "materialistic prosperity" and the "thirst of power" which he said led to the abuse of the environment and the inequitable distribution of resources. He called for world leaders to make efforts to end "social and economic exclusion."
He expressed confidence that the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development starting today, and the Paris conference on climate change in December were signs of hope and would secure fundamental and effective agreements.
The pope said it was essential to recognize a "moral law" that included the "the natural difference between man and woman and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions," alluding to the right to life, a subject which he briefly touched on in his speech to Congress on Thursday.
He urged the world's financial agencies to ensure that developing countries are "not subjected to oppressive lending systems" which he said, generated "greater poverty, exclusion and dependence."
The pope also addressed U.N. staffers, thanking them for their work and calling them the "backbone" of the organization.
He arrived in New York City on Thursday, after his historic speech before Congress.
In addition to the Vatican's flag, Friday also marks the first time that the Palestinian flag will fly outside of the U.N. building. This assembly marks the largest gathering of world leaders ever at the U.N at one time.
After his visit at the U.N., the pope will head downtown to the September 11 Memorial and Museum. Later in the afternoon he will visit a school in East Harlem and cap the day off with mass at Madison Square Garden.
Vatican flag raised this morning at the #UN #PopeinNYC