Pope Francis delivered a formal address before President Barack Obama and 11,000 other guests during a welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House Wednesday morning.

After arriving to the White House in a modest Fiat, the pope addressed a number of deeply divisive political issues, including climate change, Cuba, marriage and immigration. The pontiff spent the most time discussing his concern over global warming and praising Obama's effort to curb climate change.

"Mr. President, I find it encouraging that you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution. Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation. When it comes to the care of our common home, we are living at a critical moment of history," said Francis, speaking in a thick Argentinian accent, according to The New York Times.

Francis also talked about how the very wealthy continue to benefit from today's global economy at the expense of middle and lower class people.

"I would like all men and women of good will in this great nation to support the efforts of the international community to protect the vulnerable in our world and to stimulate integral and inclusive models of development," said the Argentine-born leader, reports CNN.

At another point, the Roman Catholic Church leader referenced the United States as a nation of immigrants, noting that he, too, is the "son of immigrants."

Francis went on to talk about the U.S. effort to mend its broken ties with Cuba after 54 years of estrangement.

He also defended the traditional values of the Catholic Church, warning that the institution of marriage and family needed to be protected at "a critical moment in the history of our civilization." Although he praised society for being more "tolerant and inclusive," he added that American Catholics were "concerned that efforts to build a just and wisely ordered society respect their deepest concerns and their right to religious liberty. That freedom remains one of America's most precious possessions."

Obama also paid warm tribute to the Pope and embraced the pontiff's support on climate change and Cuba.

"Holy Father, you remind us that we have a sacred obligation to protect our planet -- God's magnificent gift to us," said Obama. "We support your call to all world leaders to support the communities most vulnerable to a changing climate and to come together to preserve our precious world for future generations."

He went on to say, "Holy Father, we are grateful for your invaluable support of our new beginning with the Cuban people, which holds out the promise of better relations between our countries, greater cooperation across our hemisphere, and a better life for the Cuban people."