The Holy Father maintained a busy schedule in Washington, D.C. today before boarding the plane for New York.

Speaking before Congress in the first-ever papal address, Francis said the family today is "threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without."

Pope Francis also called for an end to the death penalty in the U.S. and across the world. He said that every life is sacred and that society can only benefit from rehabilitating those convicted of crimes.

The pontiff did not specifically mention abortion - a particularly contentious issue in Congress at the moment that threatens to force the shutdown of the U.S. government next week. Still, his remarks referred to the Catholic church's opposition to abortion. He urged lawmakers and all Americans to "protect and defend human life at every stage of its development."

After the address, the pope took a tour of the Capitol and then spoke directly to throngs of people outside the building. From the balcony of the U.S. Capitol, Pope Francis asked a crowd of tens of thousands to pray for him.

The pope then headed to St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Washington, where he met with the poor and homeless.