If you have happened to turn on any major news network in the past week you may have noticed that the Pope is in town. The pontiff's first visit to the U.S. has been filled with many highlights such as his speech at the White House, his visit to Philadelphia, but most importantly his historical address to Congress. Pope Francis is the first ever pope to stand and give a speech to our nation's representatives. He did not shy away from controversial issues as he addressed immigration, the death penalty, and even discussed climate change in his talk.
Many of our politicians said they were moved and believed that the Pope had some very important points especially in regards to standing up for human dignity. Taking what Pope Francis said and actually pursuing those idealistic goals of perfect balance of protecting the environment, building strong families, and working on eliminating poverty is much easier said then done.
Having the Pope speak to Congress is a nice gesture, but in reality will his words have any true effect on policy making in Congress? I believe the answer is no. Soon after the Pope's speech House majority leader, John Boehner, announced he would be stepping down from office. It seemed as though all of the focus went away from the dreams and challenges that Pope Francis offered and we went straight back to the hostile environment that has become our legislature.
The Pope provided a refreshing view on what we has a nation as well as citizens of the world should be pursuing, but after the event on Friday it has made those views seem even more distant. The current polarization in Congress is making it near to impossible to compromise and pass legislation, which makes it difficult for our representatives to serve our interests. Sadly it seems as though the Pope Francis' words were just simply words and there were most likely be limited change after his historical address.
Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-francis-congress-speech_560415a2e4b00310edfa4278
4 comments:
I definitely agree with you on how the Pope's words for Congress will prove to be ineffective in encouraging Congress to work together to get things done. Congress is definitely becoming too partisan for there to be too much cooperation and compromise. While his words are most likely going to have a limited effect on Congress members, do you think this is something that American citizens will remember? Do you think this event will be written down in history to highlight how Congress is unwilling to get things done?
I agree that the current Congress will simply set aside the Pope's words and continue their selfish ways. However, maybe later down the road, future Congress could use these words to better shape future America. Many motivational figures such as Dr. King, President Kennedy and Malcom X their words resinate to this day and have shaped our country as it stands today. So the question now is could Pope Francis' words be a future guide for future leaders or will it be lost in the pages of history?
I think one of the interesting aspects of the Pope's visit was the backlash he has received, especially from members of the GOP, who are attempting to defend their stances on climate change. Do you think that the Democrats will use the Pope's statements to defend their stances?
It is interesting that you mention the shift in focus from positive to negative as John Boehner stepped down, but I believe that the immediate action of the Speaker shows that the pope’s presence is already being felt within our Congress. Boehner claimed that the pope enlightened him, and he immediately stepped down the following day. I recognize that in no way does this translate to the way this may affect the legislature, but in a way the pope has already affected Congress by inspiring one of their main figures to resign.
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