He spoke not with the clarion bursts of Trump or the vitriol of Cruz. His were words of humility, measured before an appreciative audience. His whirlwind six-day tour through D.C., Ground Zero and the birthplace of our Constitution defied his 78 years. In a scene of paparazzi and pomp, Pope Francis was a figure of piety.
Yes, the devout Catholic has won over this appreciative Jew with his positive message of enablement, his exhortation that we can do better, and his assertion of our responsibility to care for others and for our planet.
Some have dismissed his elegy as liberalism endowed in religious garb. Others have derided his pro-life references and traditional view on marriage. To me, he was speaking words drawn on faith, and whatever worldview differences I hold were largely negated by the sincerity with which he delivered them.
He was pitch-perfect. And as Pope Francis spoke before Congress, Supreme Court justices and White House officials, there was something striking, almost otherworldly about him: He spoke quietly.
In a world echoing with the rings of gunshots in schools and streets and verbal blasts across many a legislature, the pontiff ’s tone was remarkable in its nuance and humble delivery. It evoked pause and introspection and, for the speaker of the house, resolution.
“Our world is increasingly a place of violent confl ict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion,” the pope said. “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.
“… 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.”
We are one year away from electing a new president. So far, the blasts of divisiveness have dominated the airwaves.
Donald Trump is quick to vilify. Carly Fiorina is holstered to fi re, and Jeb Bush is wont to whine. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton points fingers at anyone and anything that doubts her trustworthiness.
The candidates are not entirely to blame. We are.
Like a tea bag in hot water, we are steeped in a cauldron of distrust as it relates to our national politics and our views on what kind of nation we should be. The televised debates through early October focused less on policy and more on entertainment. CNN’s penchant during the second GOP debate was to position one candidate vs. the other, rather than help educate viewers on the policies and positions of each contender.
In terms of civility, three Republican candidates have stood out for their on-stage and live-TV appearances: Ohio Gov. John Kasich, political novice Ben Carson and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.
Kasich is a traditional conservative whose religious convictions occasionally tilt him toward Democrats on education and certain social-welfare issues. Carson is a hardcore conservative whose delivery on stage and even on the liberal-leaning TV show “The View” presents him as calm and civil. And Rubio speaks with a confi dent cadence that is largely optimistic and assertive.
And what about us? How do we talk to colleagues? Do we pull rank or seek out engagement? Are we loud and talking at or over each other or are we even-toned and eager to understand the other side? And what about our customers? Do we truly communicate with them, soliciting their input as well as sharing ours?
How are we with our family and friends? Are we present or distracted, attentive or unfocused? Do we listen as much as we speak? As impressive as the pope was before Congress, more stirring was seeing representatives of the five great religions standing united on the hallowed soil that is Ground Zero.
“Here, amid pain and grief,” said the pope, “we also have a palpable sense of the heroic goodness which people are capable of, those hidden reserves of strength from which we can draw.
“In the depths of pain and suffering, you also witnessed the heights of generosity and service. Hands reached out, lives were given. In a metropolis which might seem impersonal, faceless, lonely, you demonstrated the powerful solidarity born of mutual support, love and self-sacrifice. No one thought about race, nationality, neighborhoods, religion or politics. It was all about solidarity, meeting immediate needs, brotherhood.”
With the eloquence of a prophet, the pope spoke of unity, love and understanding. Of being one.Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.