A Few Observations as the Pope Takes Washington, Sweeps into New York

New York City, just like I pictured it. Skyscrapers, and everything

I got a text from a good friend and former parishioner in New Jersey who wanted me to write a post on the media coverage of Pope Francis' visit to the States. he wants me to "drop the ax on em." Obviously he's none too happy with the how the major U.S. news outlets have been spinning the papal journey.

I have to be honest, I haven't really seen much of the coverage live. I caught the speech to the joint session of Congress on a C-SPAN on demand stream after the fact, and have in general been going for the live feeds sans commentary over the internet or catching clips as I can. Partly it's because of my schedule, partly I have wanted to avoid the secular press coverage. Even assuming their best intentions, and with their expert commentators, secular outlets really don't do a very good job covering the Church. To use a really bad analogy, it's like an art critic covering a sporting event; even if he or she is a fan, they still come off sounding like like they don't know a home run from a corner kick. In this case these reporters and TV hosts, accustomed to covering politicians and celebrities, fall back onto what they know: politics and publicity in analyzing the pope's words and actions. Never mind that they don't know the difference between a cardinal and a mother superior. The combination of their tendency to over politicize the pope, and lack of general knowledge of the Church makes the going a bit groan inducing. So thank heaven for new media.

No axes are falling right now now. Just a few observations of Pope Francis' trip so far, in no particular order.

1. I don't think we can underestimate the importance of the pope's address to a joint session of Congress. The Holy Father alluded to the difficulties surrounding the first encounters between Europeans and Native Americans and the struggle for civil rights exemplified by the work of the late Martin Luther King, Jr.. But he could have also mentioned the anti-Catholicism that has also been a part of our nation's heritage. This was a Protestant country at it's founding, and the loyalty of Catholics to country over their Church has always been called into question. Such suspicions kept Al Smith from the presidency in 1928, and dogged JFK on the campaign trail in 1960. I know Catholics who either grew up or lived for a time in the South and can testify to the bigotry they encountered from some in that region within our own lifetimes. That the successor of Peter addressed the legislative branch of the United States government would have been unthinkable during the first papal visit to our shores fifty years ago. So in a trip of firsts, this was probably the most significant milestone.

2. In observing the memes that inevitably pop up on Facebook and other social media sites, both progressive and traditional Catholics are finding ways to claim the Holy Father as their own. I find the whole thing distasteful, to tell the truth, but it's the age we live in, I guess. Again, focusing in on the speech to Congress, the pope hit various topics dear to all "wings" of American Catholicism, though in more opaque ways. He was explicit about climate change at the White House, but here gave a more general appeal to environmental responsibility. He talked about the sanctity of life at all stages of development, which was an undeniable reference to abortion, but never said the word. He also made veiled references to the redefinition of marriage which anyone even remotely sensitive to a rhetorical "dog whistle" would have picked up on. What he was more direct on was justice, tolerance and mercy for immigrants and refugees,  and the abolition of the death penalty and international arms trade. It is true that he tries to strike a less confrontational, "culture warrior" stance than some conservatives would like. But he nonetheless paid an unannounced visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington who are suing the Obama administration over the more onerous provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Francis is simply not a politician who can be easily categorized, another reason I prefer to watch the coverage as unfiltered as possible.

3. The U.N. speech this morning also saw the pope deliver more muted, if clear words regarding the cultural shifts taking place right now. He spoke of fundamental differences in men and women which are rooted in human nature itself as opposed to shifting cultural constructs. This echoes other comments he's made concerning the inadequacy of contemporary gender theory in addressing the fundamental truths of human sexuality. Again, he was more explicit on topics that a progressive might find appealing, like climate change and the environment, but he still hit on issues of cultural imperialism that would link aid to developing nations to their adoption of Western sexual mores.

4. The Pope's speech in front of Congress was an event 20 years in the making. Speaker John Boehner had been trying for years to make it happen, and it finally did. He took heat for the invite, especially from members of his own Republican Party suspicious of the Holy Father's positions on climate change and the economy. He cried a lot yesterday, which is par for the course with him; his unofficial nickname is the Crier of the House, his emotions are so easily stirred up. But it's not a stretch to guess his tears were provoked by the gravity of the event, but even more so because he knew that he was going to announce his retirement from the House today. It was quite a way to put an exclamation point on his political career.

These are four quick takes. More to follow.