Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey was among those in the audience at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday as Pope Francis addressed an historic joint session of Congress.
Ducey, a lifelong Catholic, released a statement saying he was honored to be in attendance and that the pope's message of hope and compassion is “one the world should hear and take heart."
Phoenix-based Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego was also in the crowd.
“The most important thing that everyone is going to take away from this or that people are going to remember, and the most powerful for us in Congress, was when he started talking about the Golden Rule," Gallego said.
"I think at the end of the day, all members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, want to live by the Golden Rule, and hope to live by the Golden Rule,” he said.
There was one notable absence from the Arizona Congressional Delegation during the pope’s speech.
Republican Rep., Paul Gosar boycotted the event because he disagrees with the pope's views on climate change.
