The Pope and the Donald

 

I happened to be at home getting some home repair work done yesterday when the news broke on CNN: “Pope Says Trump Is Not Christian.” The coverage that ensued got crazier and crazier. In fact, I haven't laughed so much at the news since John Stewart left The Daily Show.  

While the news people were talking about what Pope Francis had said about building walls instead of bridges in response to an immigration question while in Mexico, the news went live to a Trump gathering where the Donald was responding to the Pope's comments. It came across as, "Oh so the Pope it talking about ME? (swagger, swagger). Well let me tell ya, for a religious leader to question someone's faith is disgraceful!"

It's not like others have not questioned the Donald's faith, wondering if he is just pandering to the voters, since faith had never seemed to me an important issue with him before. Early on, when he said the Bible was his favorite book next to his own, some news journalists asked what particular scriptures were his favorite, he said, "I wouldn't want to get into it because to me that's very personal them all. The Bible means a lot to me, but I don't want to get into specifics." And of course there was the hilarious quoting of "Two Corinthians" when he spoke at Liberty University. 

I should add that to me, it sounded like the Pope, in responding to the question of a proposed wall along the border, was explaining that that kind of action would not be Christian. Some of the context may have been lost in translation, but it is not the first time that a pope has called out a nation’s practice as being contrary to the Christian faith (that is sort of what pope’s do in their pastoral role). John Paul II called out the US on economic policies that do not reflect Christian values and in the same vein spoke out against capital punishment.  One could also point out that Bernie Sanders has some policies that do reflect Christian values, but that does not mean he is a Christian (he in fact is Jewish). I do not see it as a matter of judging a person, but rather a matter of judging a policy.  

The Donald Does Not See Himself in the White House

Donald Trump tipped his hand by his choice of words while he was responding to the Pope's comments. He does not really expect to make it to the White House. He said that “if and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President because this would not have happened." That sounds like someone who does not expect to be in the White House. You heard it here first. It will be just as well for Mr. Trump, though. He can continue to say things like, "That would not have happened if I had been President!" I think he will like that just fine.

Then the anchor went to Jerry Falwell, Jr. for his response. The junior is not as impressive a speaker as his dad, but he discounted the Pope remarks because Jesus said religious leaders were a bunch of hypocrites (he didn't seem to notice that he was being interviewed because he himself is a religious leader). Falwell was also quite displeased that the Pope is trying to get countries to act more Christian when Jesus, in Falwell's view, just wanted individuals to be charitable and let to just let the Romans handle all the government stuff. So suddenly, The Rev. Falwell, Jr. thinks that Christian beliefs have no place in the U.S. government? Well that should save him and his ilk lots of time formerly spent advocating for prayer in schools and ending abortion.

Between the anchor trying to explain what the Pope said, Trump's comments and Falwell's comments, I was rolling with laughter. What can I say, they were filling air time. If you wrote a screen play like this for the movies, critics would say, "That would never happen in the real world!"

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Interfaith Dialogue

I am always glad when I see interfaith dialogue taking place in the city. The way I see it, all of the world's major religions are here to stay, they are not going away (despite the claims of some strident voices). All religions serve an important purpose in providing a sense of community, personal grounding, a way to make sense of the world and a place to belong. It is unfortunate when we allow our own personal faith, or another individual's faith, to become a wall of separation. 

Sometimes it is a discussion group, sometimes it is a particular charitable function that brings people of different faiths together. We should rejoice whenever that happens, because the world is getting smaller and we all need one another. It was with great joy that I saw the following video of Pope Francis urging us toward interfaith dialogue in our work for peace and justice, proclaiming that "we are all children of God." 

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A Year of Mercy

Practicing Love During Times of Hate

After such a long season of single-issue voting, inhospitable behavior toward immigrants, and words of hate for those who are different, Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy. May we take this time to re-acquaint ourselves with the charitable works of mercy.  

We have seen too much hatred and even support of violence coming from people who in more settled times may have exhibited more decency toward others. Pope Francis admonished early on that we should not be obsessed with the issues of abortion and homosexuality – there is so much good news to tell that no one has been hearing because of this unhealthy obsession.

As a practicing Catholic, I see too many good things regarding social justice and the works of mercy that we are all called to practice. That is why I was so glad to see Pope Francis call his flock to a Jubilee Year of Mercy which began during Advent on December 8, and will continue until November 20, 2016. 

When Pope Francis issued the announcement of the Year of Mercy, he stated that he wanted to call us back to the work of Vatican II. The people at that Ecumenical Council, he said "strongly perceived, as a true breath of the Holy Spirit, a need to talk about God to men and women of their time in a more accessible way. The walls which for too long had made the Church a fortress were torn down and the time had come to proclaim the Gospel in a new way." Indeed, I was moved to tears to see our diocese as well as our local parish issuing a renewed call to practice the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. 

Taking heed to these traditional works of mercy provides us a more holistic view of practicing our faith than we typically have been seeing of late. May we engage more in acts of love and less in hateful diatribe in the year ahead.




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Pope Francis Tells Congress What We Are Doing Right

... and thereby encourages us to do better

Pope Francis addresses the U.S. Congress
Photo by Win McNamee (Getty Images)

Pope Francis challenges political leaders by his commitment to the Gospel of Christ and Catholic social teaching. His embodiment of the church’s “preferential option for the poor” often upends the accepted social and economic structures of our day. Yet this Pope brings such hope wherever he goes and whenever he speaks, largely due to his pastoral approach.

That pastoral manner was evident yesterday when the Holy Father addressed a joint session of congress. He made a point in his opening remarks that though he was speaking to congress; his intent was to address the American people. His written work makes clear his stand on unfettered capitalism, care for the environment, care for the poor, and regard for all of life. Instead of lambasting, however, he was able to encourage a conflicted and strident nation by pointing out what was right about our country. (You can read the entire address here)

Pope Francis outlined his remarks to congress within the framework of four American lives: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton.

• 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.”
• Martin Luther King who led the march “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… Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people.”
• Dorothy Day for “her social activism, her passion for justice and for the cause of the oppressed.”
• Thomas Merton “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.”

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.

The Pope’s address to congress did speak to the social, economic, political, and environmental challenges of our day.  He encouraged us to do more, yet even with the many challenges ahead, he was able to place those within the context of our better angels, affirming that we have rejected the temptation to imitate tyrants in our attempt to be freed from tyranny.

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.

There can be no denying that this was a historic occasion in our nation’s capital. Some observers commented that they had never seen congress pay such close attention to any other person addressing that body. Let us hope that some sense of a striving for the common good will remain. Certainly those of us who take heart in efforts for justice and equity will be encouraged by this pastoral visit from Pope Francis.  Near the end of his address, the Pope reminded us of the examples he set out at the beginning:

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.

After his address to congress, Pope Francis highlighted yet another thing we are doing right by forgoing lunch with politician in order to dine with the homeless outside St Patrick’s Catholic Church where Catholic Charities offers food and shelter for the homeless. 

Pope Francis with people at St. Maria's Meals Program of
Catholic Charities in Washington D.C. (CNS photo by Paul Haring)

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