Issues Under Fire: The Pope The Message The Problem
You'd have to be living under a rock or in a cave not to know the Pope was visiting the United States this week. The turnout for his holiness and the resulting security measures taken to insure his safety is unprecedented. Everyone whose anyone, is trying to get a handshake, a wave in their direction, or better yet, a selfie to be able to say to friends and family they were actually in the presence of one of the holiest people on the planet.
If Pope Francis is everything he's been noted for being, (and this observer has no reason to believe otherwise), it's highly likely his holiness will be disappointed by how lightly his message will be taken in America. America is a hard place to live and an even harder place to making a living. Income inequality has driven many in this country to resort to some fairly desperate measures to survive.
Without meaning to be a downer, a quick reality check will reveal how unseemly the commercialization of the Pope's visit has turned out to be. The selling of Pope on the rope soap and toaster's that'll sear his likeness onto a slice of bread, hardly seems respectful, but this nations is all about the dollar, Pope or no Pope. These are tough times and opportunities to make a fast buck are rare. Perhaps, the Pope will understand, because he seems like that kind of guy.
Still, without question the very VIP's scrambling to be seen hobnobbing with his holiness are the very same people that'll turn around and advocate policies to enhance the life styles of the wealthiest in the world at the expense of the poorest. Many of politicians the Pope will address in today's joint session of congress will turn around and vote against measures to address climate change. Sure, they'll smile and pretend to be open mined, but we all know what the bottom line will be.
Bottom line: When the Pope looks back on his 2015 trip to the United States, he'll find his message to get the rich to contribute more to the well-being of the world's most downtrodden is unlikely to soften the hearts of the hardcore rich at all. And as far as his His message to pay serious attention to climate change, that'll will be met with politically driven skepticism and corporate sponsored counter messaging. Fortunately, the Pope will forgive them, for they know not what they do. You can mark my words on this one. Podcast below!
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