Francisco is reminded of the arrival of the man on the moon and said that there were "major challenges" to be met | Chronic

Pope Francisco He recalled the arrival of humans on the Moon fifty years ago and encouraged them to meet "even greater challenges", but focused on the planet Earth, such as the protection of the weak or the protection from the environment.

"Dear brothers and sisters, yesterday it's been fifty years since man put a foot on the moon, taking an extraordinary step"recalled the pontiff after the recitation of the Angelus Dominicans from the window of the apostolic palace.

Then Francisco, in front of hundreds of people who listened to him from the Plaza de San Pedro, was invited to face earthly challenges.

"May the memory of this great step forward for humanity awaken the desire to progress together towards even more ambitious goals: more dignity for the weak, more justice for the people and more future for our common home ", the planet Earth, said Francisco.

The pope spoke of the feat accomplished on July 20, 1969, half a century ago, when American astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin they became the first human beings to walk on the moon.

At that time, the act was followed with attention and celebrated by Pope Paul VI, at the time, as well as by his close collaborators of the astronomical observatory of the Castelgandolfo summer palace , near Rome.

After landing on the moon, the pontiff sent a message to the three American astronauts – the third, Michael Collinshe stayed in the space module orbiting the moon – blessing his mission.

"Honor, greetings and blessings to you, conquerors of the moon, pale light of our nights and dreams, take it with your living presence, the voice of the Spirit, the hymn to God, our Creator and Father, said part of the message of Paul VIToday, holy.