Pope Francis’s Visit
The historic visit of Pope Francis to
the United States just ended. For me, as
a teacher in a Catholic school, it was very exciting. We did all sorts of preparations, and being
in a Catholic school in California, the canonization of Father Junipero Serra
was particularly special. In general, it
was a time of celebration for American Catholics.
But, of course, there were those who
saw the pope’s visit as a political opportunity. Facebook was saturated with memes showing the
pope and including some quote undermining the Church, which of course the holy
father never said. Sadly, these things
are “shared” ad nauseum, even after they have been debunked. On the other side, some people criticized
everything the man did, as if he were a politician rather than a shepherd of
souls.
I’ll admit that I would have liked to
see a more explicit condemnation of abortion in his address to Congress,
especially when the funding of Planned Parenthood is such a hot topic. But the pope’s pro-life credentials are
unquestioned; who am I to critique his judgment on what needed to be said?
His speech to the United Nations was
extremely powerful, and beautiful.
Throughout his visit, the holy father stressed the importance of
religious liberty, and raised issues that challenged politicians on both the
right and the left.
What I would really recommend is
reading the interview he gave as he flew back to Rome. This gave his impression of the visit, and I
think provided a clear window into his heart.
Especially for Catholics with any concerns about the holy father’s
visit, this interview will leave you impressed and hopeful.
