Voices You May Not Have Heard about the Pope's Visit

Compiled by Robert R. Schwarz,  Exodus Trekker 

author and former newspaper editor

Note: The complete text of Pope Francis' address 

to the United States Congress on Sept. 24, 2015

 appears at the end of this article.

Comments  from here and there…

He's uniting all the faiths… Monica Iken-Murphy, whose husband died in the 9-11 attacks—as quoted in The Wall Street Journal

But this visit is also a spiritual and cultural event. Millions of Americans will display their faith in public. Francis will offer doctrinal instruction for Catholics. But the great gift is the man himself — his manner, the way he carries himself. Specifically, Francis offers a model on two great questions: How do you deeply listen and learn? How do you uphold certain moral standards, while still being loving and merciful to those you befriend?...David Brooks, New York Times columnist

This pope resonates with the Jewish community as a man of openness…  Marc B. Spector , member of a Hebrew congregation on Long Island, New York—as quoted in the Wall Street Journal

We need more people like the Pope. I watched him just about every moment, and I'm not a Catholic.  I think he's an amazing person , and he had messages for all of us. I hope he returns to the  United States and that he continues to speak out. He's speaking out on some major issues facing this world…Dan Makuen,  retired  university dean of students, now a  history story-teller in Ellis Bay, Wisconsin

 I wish that the pope had given more recognition to the way free-market economic principles have been a blessing to the  global poor. He is  right to call out the church and the culture to care for the poor, but I think he minimizes the way that free-market principles have lifted many of the  world's poorest people from poverty… Russell Moore, writer at  the Southern Baptist Convention , as quoted in the Wall Street Journal

To both countries, the answer to anti-Catholic atheism and materialism is the same. The Pope brings a message of mercy. This mercy is not a sentimental laxity. It is not a warm embrace of an indulgent father who could care less about his children. Instead, for those who listen closely, the Holy Father’s message of mercy will be tough love. He is very likely to challenge the continued human-rights abuses in Cuba and the greed, immorality and violence in the United States…National Catholic Register  editorial

It can be hard for some people to understand the pope's positions. But we trust that, if people listen and watch carefully what the pope says and  does, everybody is going to be reassured that the pope is leading the church the right way. He's applying the Gospel  to today's' world…the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman.

From Arlington Heights, Illinois…

The anticipation having our Pope visit the Americas was so exciting.  About 30 years ago I saw Pope John Paul II in Rome when he celebrated Mass and rode around in the Pope-mobile.  The tears ran down my face in excitement,  and I felt so much pride to be a Catholic. Even though I didn't see Pope Francis in person, just seeing him on TV brought the same pride to be part of his family and watching brought tears of joy.   

This man was certainly sent to us from God, his words and actions, the way he reached out to hold and kiss babies, the way he touched everyone in the crowds with the love he expressed to all was so beautiful. Wherever he went, the people couldn't get enough of him.  They were enthusiastic and respectful, jubilant and joyous.

I can only pray that this feeling knowing there is GOOD in this world, continue and reach all in Chicago.  We all need to keep this feeling alive long after our Holy Father is back in Rome.  He has brought out the best in so many people with his messages.  He said it the way it should be.  Now it is our turn to see that his message gets heard and acted upon…  Bonnie Minaglia-Lombardi , St. James parish …

Watched the entire morning with the Pope addressing the joint session of Congress.
Hands down he was apolitical. His speech was a spiritual Home Run. Much happier with him today… His speech in Philadelphia was profoundly wise. My take:  This pope was raised and cultivated in a communist state with communist prejudice about America. He got here and may have realized that he had to adjust his understanding of Satan America. It seems that he did…
 Theodore Morrison  Homa, Md, St. James Parish…

He inspired me to be prophetic, to be called to serve at every opportunity. It's a happiness to think that I can finish my life in the service of others, if I can only be half the religious person he is. It gives me something to shoot for, and that's not a game to be won…Don Grossnickle, deacon, Our Lady of Wayside parish…

Just a few comments and observations regarding the Pope's visit. It was quite obvious that the people took to him with great interest and pleasure. His various talks were almost like sermons.. He did not preach as such, but spoke with caution and understanding of problems. There did not seem to be any "warnings", but suggestions and comments for improvement. He did not offer
solutions as such, but definitely pointed out where situations needed attention. I think that the fact that he spoke in English with some difficulty, made it all the more reason to listen attentively. He deserves an "A"  overall…Stanley Szott, St. James Parish …

I was so blessed by Pope Francis’s visit to America! I was able to see him on Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia, Pa , and I was surrounded by my family and friends.  What really strikes me about Pope Francis is his actions speak loud! He loves and shows this by each embrace he gave to the convicts he met in the prison as he told them he was their brother.  That moment captures how loudly his actions speak to the rest of the world. I felt loved by him, even though I was a person in a sea of people…Sr. Faustina Ferko, director of youth ministry, St. James parish… 

I remember sitting on a plane flying home from California last year when I entered into a conversation with the passenger next to me. He had seen that I was reading the Pope’s “Joy of the Gospel.” This man was not a Catholic, in fact, not even a Christian, but he began to engage in a seemingly well informed conversation about Pope Francis. He seemed to know much more about Jorge Mario Bergoglio than I did. That’s when I realized I needed to delve more deeply into who this new Pope is and what he has to share with us. So when the opportunity came up to travel to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families and to attend the Festival of Families and Mass with the Pope, of course I was eager to go!

The World Meeting of Families was well run. There were many opportunities to get “tooled up” for ministry, but more importantly, it gave me a moment to think about my own faith development and beliefs. Families are so complex. The family is an integral structure of society and the primary means for individuals to experience the reality of God. What vehicle is more powerful to invite us into loving relationships, relationships where we actually come to know God because we are cherished, because we belong, because there are human arms to embrace and hold us, because others do not give up on us despite our shortcomings, where forgiveness heals, and where joy and laughter create memories that bind? Of course, this is not always our experience, but I think what Pope Francis does is remind us that this is what families can be for one another. The theme for the week was “Love is our Mission: The family fully alive.” One woman remarked to me, “Pope Francis makes me want to be a better person.” That is how I think of Jesus!

So even though I was happy to be going to Philly, I did not anticipate getting so swept up in the excitement and anticipation of seeing the Pope. We arrived at the grounds for the Festival of Families on Saturday at least five hours before the event. There was this crowd swell of hope the closer we got to the Pope’s arrival. He actually arrived once the sun had set, so they had to use this huge spot light on the back of a truck in front of the Pope mobile so that people could see him. It created a rather ethereal picture as he rode by. Sr. Faustina and I were right at the fence of the road he was on. I think of him as the “cute Pope.”He looks more like a grandpa than the Vicar of Christ! (I mean no disrespect!) People just could not contain their joy! It seems so appropriate that this particular pope speaks so much about joy and encounter. This is exactly what he embodies!...JoAnne Mullen-Muhr , director of faith formation , St. James parish…

THE END

(Starting Dec. 6 : "Interviews about Family,

an Indefinable Core of Humanity  " )

All comments are welcome.

rrschwarz7@wowway.com

© 2015 Robert R. Schwarz

VISIT TO THE JOINT SESSION OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS

ADDRESS OF THE HOLY FATHER

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
Thursday, 24 September 2015

[Multimedia]

---

Mr. Vice-President,
Mr. Speaker,
Honorable Members of Congress,
Dear Friends,

I am most grateful for your invitation to address this Joint Session of Congress in “the land of the free and the home of the brave”. I would like to think that the reason for this is that I too am a son of this great continent, from which we have all received so much and toward which we share a common responsibility.

Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility. Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk. Legislative activity is always based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you.

Yours is a work which makes me reflect in two ways on the figure of Moses. On the one hand, the patriarch and lawgiver of the people of Israel symbolizes the need of peoples to keep alive their sense of unity by means of just legislation. On the other, the figure of Moses leads us directly to God and thus to the transcendent dignity of the human being. Moses provides us with a good synthesis of your work: you are asked to protect, by means of the law, the image and likeness fashioned by God on every human face.

Today I would like not only to address you, but through you the entire people of the United States. Here, together with their representatives, I would like to take this opportunity to dialogue with the many thousands of men and women who strive each day to do an honest day’s work, to bring home their daily bread, to save money and –one step at a time – to build a better life for their families. These are men and women who are not concerned simply with paying their taxes, but in their own quiet way sustain the life of society. They generate solidarity by their actions, and they create organizations which offer a helping hand to those most in need.

I would also like to enter into dialogue with the many elderly persons who are a storehouse of wisdom forged by experience, and who seek in many ways, especially through volunteer work, to share their stories and their insights. I know that many of them are retired, but still active; they keep working to build up this land. I also want to dialogue with all those young people who are working to realize their great and noble aspirations, who are not led astray by facile proposals, and who face difficult situations, often as a result of immaturity on the part of many adults. I wish to dialogue with all of you, and I would like to do so through the historical memory of your people.

My visit takes place at a time when men and women of good will are marking the anniversaries of several great Americans. The complexities of history and the reality of human weakness notwithstanding, these men and women, for all their many differences and limitations, were able by hard work and self-sacrifice – some at the cost of their lives – to build a better future. They shaped fundamental values which will endure forever in the spirit of the American people. A people with this spirit can live through many crises, tensions and conflicts, while always finding the resources to move forward, and to do so with dignity. These men and women offer us a way of seeing and interpreting reality. In honoring their memory, we are inspired, even amid conflicts, and in the here and now of each day, to draw upon our deepest cultural reserves.

I would like to mention four of these Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton. 

This year marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the guardian of liberty, who labored tirelessly that “this nation, under God, [might] have a new birth of freedom”. Building a future of freedom requires love of the common good and cooperation in a spirit of subsidiarity and solidarity.

All of us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing social and political situation of the world today. Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners. The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps. We know that in the attempt to be freed of the enemy without, we can be tempted to feed the enemy within. To imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place. That is something which you, as a people, reject.

Our response must instead be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today’s many geopolitical and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples. We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.

The challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United States. The complexity, the gravity and the urgency of these challenges demand that we pool our resources and talents, and resolve to support one another, with respect for our differences and our convictions of conscience.

In this land, the various religious denominations have greatly contributed to building and strengthening society. It is important that today, as in the past, the voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is a voice of fraternity and love, which tries to bring out the best in each person and in each society. Such cooperation is a powerful resource in the battle to eliminate new global forms of slavery, born of grave injustices which can be overcome only through new policies and new forms of social consensus.

Here I think of the political history of the United States, where democracy is deeply rooted in the mind of the American people. All political activity must serve and promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his or her dignity. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776). If politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the economy and finance. Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life. I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort.

Here too I think of the march which Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery fifty years ago as part of the campaign to fulfill his “dream” of full civil and political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to inspire us all. I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a land of “dreams”. Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people.

In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants. Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always respected. For those peoples and their nations, from the heart of American democracy, I wish to reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation. Those first contacts were often turbulent and violent, but it is difficult to judge the past by the criteria of the present. Nonetheless, when the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us. Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this.

Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt 7:12).

This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.

This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty. Not only do I support them, but I also offer encouragement to all those who are convinced that a just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension of hope and the goal of rehabilitation.

In these times when social concerns are so important, I cannot fail to mention the Servant of God Dorothy Day, who founded the Catholic Worker Movement. Her social activism, her passion for justice and for the cause of the oppressed, were inspired by the Gospel, her faith, and the example of the saints.

How much progress has been made in this area in so many parts of the world! How much has been done in these first years of the third millennium to raise people out of extreme poverty! I know that you share my conviction that much more still needs to be done, and that in times of crisis and economic hardship a spirit of global solidarity must not be lost. At the same time I would encourage you to keep in mind all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of poverty. They too need to be given hope. The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes. I know that many Americans today, as in the past, are working to deal with this problem.

It goes without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth. The right use of natural resources, the proper application of technology and the harnessing of the spirit of enterprise are essential elements of an economy which seeks to be modern, inclusive and sustainable. “Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good” (Laudato Si’, 129). This common good also includes the earth, a central theme of the encyclical which I recently wrote in order to “enter into dialogue with all people about our common home” (ibid., 3). “We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all” (ibid., 14).

In Laudato Si’, I call for a courageous and responsible effort to “redirect our steps” (ibid., 61), and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity. I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play. Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies, aimed at implementing a “culture of care” (ibid., 231) and “an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature” (ibid., 139). “We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology” (ibid., 112); “to devise intelligent ways of… developing and limiting our power” (ibid., 78); and to put technology “at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral” (ibid., 112). In this regard, I am confident that America’s outstanding academic and research institutions can make a vital contribution in the years ahead. 

A century ago, at the beginning of the Great War, which Pope Benedict XV termed a “pointless slaughter”, another notable American was born: the Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for many people. In his autobiography he wrote: “I came into the world. Free by nature, in the image of God, I was nevertheless the prisoner of my own violence and my own selfishness, in the image of the world into which I was born. That world was the picture of Hell, full of men like myself, loving God, and yet hating him; born to love him, living instead in fear of hopeless self-contradictory hungers”. Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions.

From this perspective of dialogue, I would like to recognize the efforts made in recent months to help overcome historic differences linked to painful episodes of the past. It is my duty to build bridges and to help all men and women, in any way possible, to do the same. When countries which have been at odds resume the path of dialogue – a dialogue which may have been interrupted for the most legitimate of reasons – new opportunities open up for all. This has required, and requires, courage and daring, which is not the same as irresponsibility. A good political leader is one who, with the interests of all in mind, seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism. A good political leader always opts to initiate processes rather than possessing spaces (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 222-223).

Being at the service of dialogue and peace also means being truly determined to minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts throughout our world. Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.

Three sons and a daughter of this land, four individuals and four dreams: Lincoln, liberty; Martin Luther King, liberty in plurality and non-exclusion; Dorothy Day, social justice and the rights of persons; and Thomas Merton, the capacity for dialogue and openness to God.

Four representatives of the American people.

I will end my visit to your country in Philadelphia, where I will take part in the World Meeting of Families. It is my wish that throughout my visit the family should be a recurrent theme. How essential the family has been to the building of this country! And how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement! Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.

In particular, I would like to call attention to those family members who are the most vulnerable, the young. For many of them, a future filled with countless possibilities beckons, yet so many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair. Their problems are our problems. We cannot avoid them. We need to face them together, to talk about them and to seek effective solutions rather than getting bogged down in discussions. At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future. Yet this same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family.

A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to “dream” of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.

In these remarks I have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural heritage, of the spirit of the American people. It is my desire that this spirit continue to develop and grow, so that as many young people as possible can inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to dream.

God bless America!

 © Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana