Pope Francis delivered a very progressive speech that rattled conservatives on many issues. But he also took a subtle swipe at same-sex marriage.
Pope Francis delivered what is being called a very progressive and people-focused speech Thursday morning to a joint meeting of Congress. In fact, it was a speech (full text here) that likely angered most of the Republicans sitting before him – ironic since their leader, Speaker John Boehner, is the one who invited the pontiff to address the nation’s lawmakers.
The pope, in his own way, chastised climate change deniers, religious fundamentalism, death penalty supporters, those who oppose immigration, and nationalists who prefer an arms race and war to diplomacy. The 78-year old Buenos Aires-born leader of the world’s 1.25 billion Catholics also urged Congress to do more to fight poverty and hunger, and to help with the current refugee crisis.
But the pope also made clear, albeit subtle, references to abortion and same-sex marriage, and on those, most progressives likely were the ones bristling.
“How essential the family has been to the building of this country!,” Pope Francis exclaimed, to much applause. “And how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement!”
“Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.”
The Pope clearly has not spent time with families headed by same-sex parents.
On abortion, the pope referred to “the Golden Rule,” which, he said, “points us in a clear direction.”
“Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us.”
“The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.”
In other words, the pope effectively said if you are against abortion you must be against the death penalty – a position in direct opposition to that of most conservatives.
Pope Francis also based his speech on four iconic progressive American figures: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., social justice activist Thomas Merton, and Dorothy Day, a social activist and socialist some believe the pope may want to canonize.
By and large, most progressives would agree with almost everything the pope said – just perhaps not how he would implement some of his beliefs.
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Image: Screenshot via YouTube