Pope Francis, in New York, Takes On Extremism and Inequality

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[At the UN, the Pope said] "A selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged," he said, echoing themes he has focused on in the past. "The poorest are those who suffer most from such offenses, for three serious reasons: they are cast off by society, forced to live off what is discarded and suffer unjustly from the abuse of the environment. They are part of today's widespread and quietly growing ‘culture of waste.'  "

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The pope has often spoken about the dangers of unbridled capitalism, and throughout his tour of Manhattan, he was confronted by the often head-snapping extremes of wealth and poverty that can be found across New York.

When Francis entered Central Park on Friday afternoon, about 80,000 people waited hours to catch a glimpse of the man after having secured tickets in a city-sponsored lottery. Around the park, residents in the towers of privilege, where apartment prices have topped $100 million, can take in the show from high in the sky.