The visit of Pope Francis to the United States has been a signal event in the life of both the Pope and citizens of this country, drawing fawning crowds in Washington, D.C, New York City and the Philadelphia area. The 78-year-old Pope became the 266th Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013 following the resignation/retirement of Pope Benedict XVI on February 28, 2013.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina was elected to the Papacy on March 13, 2013. Pope Francis is the first Pope of the Jesuit Order and the first non-European to ascend to the highest office of the Catholic Church since the death of Gregory III in 741 who was Syrian.
Arriving from Cuba on Tuesday, September 22, 2015, the Pope addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Thursday, September 24th. Apparently a dream of John Boehner to bring the Pope to the joint session, the Speaker was teary-eyed during parts of the Pope’s presentation. For reasons unknown, Boehner announced his resignation from Congress and the Speaker post effective October 31. Hopefully, the change will be tranquil.
During his speech to the United Nations in New York City, the Pope featured straightforward pronouncements that elicited frequent applause from the diverse audience of utopians from around the world. Expressed were phrases such as, ‘Child trafficking and drug trade threatens our credibility’ and ‘If you fight among yourselves, others will devour you.’
Other comments were, ‘Proliferation of nuclear weapons is opposed to the UN charter’, ‘UN activity can be improved but remains necessary’ and ‘UN members must not be united by fear and distrust.’ A phrase that brought brisk applause was, ‘The full meaning of life is found in service to others.’ If we all practiced that remark, the world would be immersed in joy and peace.
In his speeches, there were pronouncements about immigration, global warming and weather change, lifting the poor, the world economy, child and sex trafficking, illicit drugs, war, migration and topics that would be expected from a great contemporary religious leader. His warm speeches and humble demeanor commanded the respect of Catholics and non-Catholics alike, politicians at every level and the general public who showed up by the thousands and watched by millions on TV.
His historic visits to Cuba from Saturday, September 19th to Tuesday the 22nd and the United States were recorded minute-to-minute by the media. It seemed every radio and TV station covered every word and step of his visits to the Western Hemisphere. His words were historic, propitious and prophetic. Will audiences at the joint session of the U.S. Congress, the UN and the ‘World Meeting of Families’ in Philadelphia remember what he said? Will these bodies transform his words into action? Can the voice and the words of this esteemed religious leader translate to peace and the resolution of world problems?
Joko Widodo, recently elected President of Indonesia, consisting of 17,000 islands and the fourth most populous nation in the world with 255 million people sprinkled among 6,000 inhabited islands surely caught the sentiments of the Pope’s utterances. Indonesia is home to the world’s largest Muslim population with 222 million believers where Sharia law has been increasing in zeal along with human rights violations since 2009. The Pope’s wisdom also penetrated the ears of Vladimir Putin of Russia, XI Jinpin of China and Kim Jong Un of North Korea.
It is likely that the Pope’s pleadings were ignored in Moscow, disregarded in Beijing, snubbed in Pyongyang and rebuffed in Damascus, Syria. What then, were the values of the Pope’s proclamations and supplications heard ‘round the world? If a despot withdraws one threat from an oppressed nation; if one family reunited because of a word from the Pope’s lips; if one virtuous leader found inspiration to lead with greater influence, the Pope’s words of wisdom were triumphant.
John Foster Dulles, Secretary of State, 1953-’59,(b-1888-d-1959), once said, “The world will never have lasting peace so long as men reserve for war the finest human qualities. Peace, no less than war, requires idealism and self sacrifice and a righteous and dynamic faith.” Amen.
