Pope Francis gives profound lessons to America

Pope Francis gives profound lessons to America

By Roger Caldwell

      As a political activist, you may not agree with everything Pope Francis believes and practices, but everyone will agree that he is a master teacher and communicator. Pope Francis is an international celebrity, and he is positively impacting millions of people around the globe. He is a different kind of pope who has expanded the expectations and roles of his position.

To begin with, the role of a pope is to lead the Catholic Church, and serve as the Bishop of Rome. His responsibilities entail religious duties and appointing Bishops around the world. The pope also operates as a political leader who oversees Vatican City State which is a sovereign enclave located in Rome. As head of the state, the pope accepts important visitors such as world monarchs, and representatives of foreign governments.

The pope is one of the most powerful men on the planet, and he sees himself as a servant of all the people. He is reaching out, not just to the Catholic Church, but to everyone who will listen to his call for world peace. His message is inclusive, and encompasses all cultures, genders, age, spiritual affiliations, and races. Pope Francis does not ignore problems and issues around the world, but he engages everyone to have a passion for justice and moral principles.

Many conservatives and Republicans in America are disappointed with the pope’s message because he talks against income and wealth inequality, poverty, unemployment, greed, the death penalty, and corruption. He is asking people of the world to create a new world order where the economy works for all, and not just the wealthy and the powerful.

In the pope’s first public speech, Pope Francis gives his full support to President Obama’s work to combat climate change. “Mr. President, I find it encouraging that you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution. Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to our future generation” says Pope Francis.

It is obvious that the pope is an outspoken critic of many of the policies and issues that Republicans think do not exist, and many of the things they support. Republicans want to increase the size of the armed forces, which is on the wrong side of history, and the future of the planet. They are caught in a time when America ruled with an iron fist, carried a big stick, and refused to talk with their adversaries.

But the world has changed and it is time for countries to heed the pope’s call, and develop diplomatic relations with their enemies as President Obama is doing with Cuba. Republicans may want to tear up the treaty with Iran, but based on the pope’s teaching, our president is doing the right thing.

In the speech addressing Congress, the pope said “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.”

America is at a cross-road and it is time for a new world order based on love, peace, and humility. The pope came to America to teach, preach and show his support for President Obama. There is spiritual warfare taking place around the world, and America has the responsibility to assist in saving the planet.