As Thanksgiving approaches let us all focus on our many blessings and the reasons we have to be thankful. September 24, 2015, was an unforgettable day for us and a historic day for America. It started long before daylight with a walk in the cool Washington, D.C. air as we headed to clear security for those to be on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to await Pope Francis address to a Joint Session of Congress – the first ever by a Pope – the head of the Holy See, a head of State with full diplomatic relations between the United States and the Vatican.
Arriving at security about 5:20 AM, there were already many who had cleared security and we could see long lines behind us. When we had picked up our tickets the afternoon before at Senator Ted Cruz’s Capitol office, we received detailed information about access points and a long list of items to be sure not to have in our possession. To say security was tight would be an understatement.
It wasn’t too long after we entered that our good friends Jo Dee and Doug Oldmixon, and shortly thereafter, another good friend Jonathan Saenz joined us, finding us in the swelling crowd. As we waited, we watched the building enthusiasm and exuberance of the crowd. We met people from many other states and a number from Mexico and South America. Everyone was visibly excited to get to see and hear Pope Francis.
Pope Francis did not disappoint. At about 10:20 AM the Pope arrived on the east side of the Capitol, greeted by Capitol staff and the roaring approval of the thousands watching on jumbotrons.
The Pope started his address to Congress about 10:40 AM. His opening remarks of appreciation to be “in the land of the free and the home of the brave” brought thunderous applause. His speech was very substantive, and while we wished he would have given greater emphasis to several topics, he struck a good balance. He did not shy away from controversial topics and reading his speech slowly gave great depth to his messages.
One thing that was clear to me, as a former 14-year member of the Texas House of Representatives, and what made his speech different, was his reaching out to people of all political parties, and people of all religions or even no religion.
Following is what I heard and noted from Pope Francis:
Early on the Pope laid down challenges: (1) to each person, that we have a common responsibility to our fellow man, and (2) to the U.S. Congress, reminding the members they are the face of the American people. The Congress must seek the common good, protect the dignity of the person particularly people with great vulnerability. He emphasized the need for all to dialogue particularly regarding workers, older persons and the young.
Congress faces the great difficulty of building a better future and to find the resources to move forward with dignity amid conflict. He used the lives of four remarkable people to drive home what they stood for and the importance of the contribution of each:
- Abraham Lincoln – freedom
- Martin Luther King – civil rights
- Dorothy Day – social justice
- Thomas Merton – spiritual inspiration
The Pope lamented that the world today is a place of violence and certain constraints must be applied:
- each religion must NOT have extremism
- delicate balance to protect individual freedoms
- confront every form of polarization
- renew cooperation
- support one another with respect for differences
- be a voice of fraternity and love
- eliminate all forms of slavery
- in politics build greater common good
- encourage Congress in its efforts
- respect the past – do not repeat the past
- difficult to judge the past with the criteria of the present
- immigration and refugee crisis – apply the golden rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you
- if we want security, life and opportunity – protect human life at every stage
- eliminate the death penalty
- have a just penalty with rehabilitation as the goal
- right use of resources
- business is a noble vocation as it creates jobs for the common good
- environmental concern – we can make a difference – protect nature, the earth
- limit technology to serve mankind
- do all with hope and healing, peace and justice
- now is the time for courageous action
Pope Francis wants to build bridges and open new opportunities for all through dialogue, a good political leader will seize the moment and be courageous. The leader has a duty to confront the problem. The good leader should initiate processes and not just occupy space.
Pope Francis most emphasized point was the importance of the family, including those in poverty and the marginalized. The family was essential to the building of America. The family today is threatened from within and without. The importance of marriage and family life is crucial to the outcomes of youth and future generations. Youth today are faced with violence, abuse and despair.
This nation defends liberty and can continue to do so in dialogue and with contemplation.
America inspires people to dream.God bless America.
Indeed, this was an historic speech and an historic day. Pat and I were fortunate to be present to participate. It was a day to be proud to say we are Catholics. Thank God Pope Francis as a leader is courageous and is taking action for the betterment of mankind and the Church. May each of us accept Pope Francis’ challenge of common responsibility and make it our mission to serve one another.
Pope Francis said, “The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts of all who encounter Jesus. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.”
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- To read Pope Francis’ full address to Congress go here: (https://catholicbusinessjournal.biz/content/full-transcript-pope-franciss-speech-congress)
- To read his full address to the United Nations go here: (https://catholicbusinessjournal.biz/content/pope-francis-un-full-transcript-pope-francis-talk-un).
- To read all of the pope’s speeches during his visit to the United States, go here: (http://aleteia.org/2015/09/28/read-the-full-texts-of-all-of-pope-francis-addresses-during-his-visit-to-the-u-s/)
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Timothy Von Dohlen is the founder and president of the John Paul II Life Center and Vitae Clinic in Austin, Texas. (www.jpiilifecenter.org) For a more robust bio, click here. – www.catholicbusinessjournal.biz/content/tim-von-dohlen. He may be reached at Timothy@CatholicBusinessJournal.biz
I disagree
I respectfully, but strongly disagree with the assertion that Pope Francis’ speech to congress made it a great day to be a Catholic. Quite the opposite. Pope Francis has consistently denigrated Capitalism while promoting income redistribution and socialist principles. Capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty, while socialism is often antagonistic toward Christianity (consider Europe). He spoke of “hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion.” without mentioning Islam, implying that Islam and Christianity (and all other religions, for that matter) are moral equivalents in regard to “brutal attrocities”. That’s utterly ridiculous, and misleading to the uninformed. On the day the Senate was scheduled to vote on whether or not to defund Planned Parenthood, with the horrific PP videos exposing the violence toward the unborn, Pope Francis vrtually ignored the abortion issue, instead making a strident pro-life appeal…to abolish the death penalty! The list goes on. For excellent analysis of the Pope’s speech to Congress, I encourage readers to check out this link: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/09/24/pope-francis-slams-capitalism-death-penalty-immigration-law-no-real-mention-abortion-gay-marriage/
or this: https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/pope-francis-dropped-the-ball-on-abortion-in-his-speech-to-congress-the-piv