Pope Francis delivered a speech to a joint meeting of Congress that lawmakers interpreted to their own liking, no matter which side of the aisle.
“I thought most of all it appealed to the better angels of our nature, I hope,” Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said as he left the House chamber following the speech.
The pope made no specific reference to pro-life issues, even as Congress engages in a bitter fight over federal funding of the abortion provider Planned Parenthood. Instead, Pope Francis chose to specifically denounce the death penalty and call for the rehabilitation of criminals. He called on Congress to take action to help the environment, accept new immigrants, lift up the poor and build a society that shares its wealth.
In all, the pope’s message seemed to hold much more appeal to Democratic lawmakers, but Republicans refrained from criticizing the historic speech and noted the more subtle references the pope made in support of life and traditional families.
“From my perspective, he has the right and the obligation to speak out on whatever issues he believes are important to our world today,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said as she walked back to the Senate from the House Chamber. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that he influences views or changes votes, but he certainly elevates the importance of those issues and places them in a spiritual context in keeping with the gospel.”
Democratic praise was more enthusiastic.
“He reminded us of our sacred and inescapable responsibility to those struggling to escape poverty, persecution and war,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “He challenged us to rescue our planet from the climate crisis that threatens the future of our children and the health of God’s creation, and to do so sensitive to the needs of the poor. His Holiness urged us to live our values and reach beyond our divisions.”
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who invited the pope and teared up during the speech, did not make a specific reference to the pontiff’s remarks but praised his visit.
“Let us all go forth with gratitude and reflect on how we can better serve one another,” Boehner said. “Let us all go forth and live up to the words, ‘God bless America.'”
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who is perhaps the staunchest opponent of measures aimed at stopping global warming, played down the pope’s message on the environment, noting that the pontiff made no direct reference to legislation.
“The Democratic activists on this issue, I’m sure, are upset they didn’t get some very strong message on legislation specifically,” Inhofe said. “He didn’t say anything about global warming, he didn’t say anything about climate change, he just said one of our responsibilities that is always there is to provide for a clean environment.”
Democrats who favor legislation aimed at addressing global warming noted Pope Francis was far more subdued in his statement about the environment than in his encyclical, or teaching document, which focused on ecology and declares the need to rid the Earth of fossil fuels to combat global warming.
“I thought given the setting he hit the right balance,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., said. “But what he has put in the encyclical is stunning.”
Inhofe was disappointed the pope did not call on Congress to specifically take action to curb abortion. “In today’s environment, I would have expected that,” Inhofe said.
The pope, he added, managed to “play down two of the sensitive issues” of abortion and climate change, adding, “I don’t think he’s the confrontational type.”
The pope’s message on immigration was more direct, and he called on Congress not to turn away the thousands of immigrants pouring across the U.S. southern border.
“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,” he said.
Flake, who co-wrote an immigration reform bill in the Senate that provides the nation’s illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship, said the message could resonate with lawmakers, who can’t agree on a bill to reform the system.
“I’ve always appreciated the pope’s message on immigration,” Flake said. “That we need to do it in a humane way. That we’re all immigrants, and don’t we all want a better life for our kids? I hope it strikes a chord with Congress.”
The pontiff’s speech rang empty with many lawmakers, simply because they couldn’t hear it. The pope spoke softly with a think accent. Coupled with the echo in the chamber, discerning the words became impossible for some.
“It was a very special moment for everybody, but a lot of us couldn’t hear too well,” Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, said. “I really couldn’t understand what he said.”
