Throughout Pope Francis’ whirlwind trip to Washington, New York and Philadelphia, he made a positive impact in his efforts to heal our materially rich but spiritually poor country. How positive the long-term impact will be remains to be seen.

One of the first things that struck me was papal biographer George Weigel’s comment after the Holy Father’s first U.S. address, on the lawn of the White House: “Pope Francis is asking Americans to reach down into their souls to remember the ideals on which America was founded.” The Holy Father reinforced that message in his address to Congress, urging them to be stewards of the public good rather than political functionaries.

His messages on each leg of his grueling journey underscored the point that human dignity — at all stages of development — is a natural right that all countries have the responsibility to acknowledge.

For me personally, perhaps the biggest moment of the papal trip was when the Holy Father diverted from his schedule and dropped in unannounced on the Little Sisters of the Poor at their residence in Washington.

His gesture was a very clear statement of support for the Little Sisters and their apostolate — and surely gave encouragement to the congregation, which, like EWTN, is in a struggle with the federal government to overturn the unjust HHS mandate.

I hope you enjoy this very special edition of the Register, which includes a commemorative pull-out section.

God bless you, and God bless Pope Francis!