For too many years, the Catholic teachings that have gotten the most attention in the United States have been limited to sex and related topics. The broader sweep of Catholic teaching has continued to include much more, such as the rights of workers and opposition to the death penalty, but it's been easy for Republicans to ignore while loudly calling out the issues on which they agreed with the church. Pope Francis has changed that balance, to the discomfort of Republicans, and Thursday he
took his message straight to Congress.
Republicans still got lines they liked—or thought they did—such as "The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development." But of course they weren't quite so enthusiastic about the "at every stage" part; Francis continued:
This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes.
That wasn't the only part of the speech bound to give congressional Republicans heartburn, in the politest and most elegant way possible. On inequality and the economy:
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.
"It cannot be a slave to the economy and finance." Oof. On immigration and the refugee crisis:
Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome.
"Common temptation" ... or happily embraced policy? On poverty:
How much has been done in these first years of the third millennium to raise people out of extreme poverty! I know that you share my conviction that much more still needs to be done, and that in times of crisis and economic hardship a spirit of global solidarity must not be lost. At the same time I would encourage you to keep in mind all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of poverty. They too need to be given hope. The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes.
But in this country, one of our political parties wants the minimum wage at a poverty level—when it's not outright opposing any minimum wage—and seeks to cut food stamps and other important pieces of the safety net. On climate change and inequality:
n Laudato Si’, I call for a courageous and responsible effort to "redirect our steps" (ibid., 61), and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity. I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play. Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies, aimed at implementing a "culture of care" (ibid., 231) and "an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature" (ibid., 139).
Pope Francis is no liberal, but he's forcing Americans to pay attention to issues his recent predecessors had allowed to take a back seat. And you could see on their faces how uncomfortable that was for congressional Republicans.