Beech Tree News Network

Pope Francis’ recent visit to the United States – with stops in New York, Washington and Philadelphia – was the first U.S. visit for this pope. Pope Francis experienced massive crowds, massive security and massive media coverage. Seeing the pope interact with crowds of people clearly showed why he has been called “the people’s pope.”

According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope), “the pope is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. The primacy of the Roman bishop is largely derived from his role as the traditional successor to Saint Peter, to whom Jesus gave the keys of Heaven and the powers of ‘binding and loosing’, naming him as the ‘rock’ upon which the church would be built.” Pope Francis was elected to this position in 2013.

In New York, reporters and police commented on the cooperative attitude of the crowds who turned out to see the pope. Reporters also noted the pope’s ease of interacting with people, regardless of age. On Friday at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, Pope Francis participated in a multi-religious gathering with Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh representatives. This was a memorable ceremony. Pope Francis began his remarks, saying: “Dear Friends, I feel many different emotions standing here at Ground Zero, where thousands of lives were taken in a senseless act of destruction. Here grief is palpable….” Later, “It is a source of great hope that in this place of sorrow and remembrance I can join with leaders representing the many religious traditions which enrich the life of this great city. I trust that our presence together will be a powerful sign of our shared desire to be a force for reconciliation, peace and justice in this community and throughout the world. For all our differences and disagreements, we can live in a world of peace.” The pope condemned extremism, saying, “In opposing every attempt to create a rigid uniformity, we can and must build unity on the basis of our diversity of languages, cultures and religions, and lift our voices against everything which would stand in the way of such unity. Together we are called to say ‘no’ to every attempt to impose uniformity and ‘yes’ to a diversity accepted and reconciled.” He explained: “This can only happen if we uproot from our hearts all feelings of hatred, vengeance and resentment. We know that that is only possible as a gift from heaven…. Peace in our homes, our families, our schools and our communities. Peace in all those places where war never seems to end...” (http://abcnews.go.com/US/pope-francis-arrives-911-memorial-multi-faith-s...).

Why has Pope Francis’ visit had such an impact on our country? Of the four parts of human nature – body, mind, heart, and spirit (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual), we seem to neglect most our spiritual nature. Perhaps it’s the quiet one, and the squeaky ones – physical, mental and emotional –get most of our time and attention. During his visit, Pope Francis humbly encouraged us to choose good, to choose peace, and to treat others with kindness. His messages encouraged our spirits, offering us hope for peace.

Remarkably, Pope Francis often asks those he meets: “Reza por mí.” Pray for me (http://poy.time.com/2013/12/11/person-of-the-year-pope-francis-the-peopl...). I respect the work of this seventy-eight-year-old people’s pope. His humility and love for others are apparent.