I was fortunate to receive a gallery pass to attend the historical event of Pope Francis's address to the joint session of Congress. It was a day I'll never forget. It was a privilege to be seated in the Gallery of the Chamber among members of Congress, the Supreme Court, and above all - in the presence of the Holy Father.

    The speech was addressed not only to Congress but to the entire people of the U.S. and because of the issues he spoke about - it really felt like he was talking directly to me! He covered a wide spectrum of social concerns which, as an office, we address such as local and global poverty, the death penalty, the refugee crisis, and care for creation.  His message to Congress is based on Catholic Social Teaching, and he frequently spoke of "Solidarity" and "The Common Good".

    One item which struck me during his talk was how Pope Francis created a sense of solidarity among his audience.  He set the tone of solidarity by identifying himself from this continent and a "Son of immigrants". He consistently used the word "we" as in "what we must do" rather than what "you should do".

    Pope Francis used the word "dialogue" 11 times in his speech, not only to describe how he wanted his speech to be received, but also in regards to the importance of dialogue. One could easily infer that he was speaking to the parties within Congress, but he also talked about the importance of dialogue to address world problems. He offered dialogue as important to address immigration and poverty concerns - we must see people's faces and listen to their stories to see how best to respond to their situation. Pope Francis also stressed dialogue as important in regards to end the "many armed conflicts throughout the world".  I don't think there is a concern Pope Francis mentioned which wouldn't benefit from dialogue.

    I encourage you to read the full text of this speech - and all his speeches from his visit. 

 

Lynn