I’ll just put it out there that I was very disappointed by the Pope’s speech before Congress. I say this not as an orthodox/evangelical criticism of Catholicism. Far from it. I say this as one who wished that he had been more Catholic (which is to say more Christian) in two areas that faithful Catholics have fought mightily for: marriage as “male and female” and the sanctity of the life of the unborn. It was not a courageous speech to the political left of this country. He largely spent his moral capital on areas that had either Democratic support or at least bipartisan support.
His discussion of the assault on a male-female foundation for marriage and the slaughter of innocent unborn children was far too muted. The closest he came to addressing abortion directly was when he said, “The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” Yet then he immediately segued into calling for an end to the death penalty for egregious acts of murder (which I do not believe that either Jesus or Paul advocated, even implicitly). Not a word about the scandalous funding of Planned Parenthood, which receives a third of its revenues from executing innocent life.
His discussion of the male-female foundation for marriage was even more veiled: “I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family.” Unfortunately, if he meant by “the very basis of marriage and the family” a male-female foundation, he did a very good job of “hiding [his] concern.” He then proceeded to talk about “the young” who are “trapped in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair.”
The only mention of government assault on religious liberty was in a passing comment: “A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom.” This remark came immediately after his rebuke of “fundamentalism,” which despite his caveat (“whether religious or of any other kind”) would surely be heard by the political left as an attack on morally conservative Christian faith.
There was not a single explicit mention of Jesus Christ, let alone of his redemptive death and resurrection for the world. Of course many will point to his social justice themes as resonating implicitly with concerns of Jesus (attacks on greed, violence, harming the environment presumably through global warming, allegedly restrictive immigration laws). On this score, however, he took no risks. I understand that he is speaking before a political body in a “pluralistic” country. Yet if anyone would be given leeway to focus more clearly and substantively on Jesus as the world’s Savior it would be the Pope.
Pope Francis may well be treating in other venues in the United States both the controversial Twin Towers of evil, “gay marriage” and abortion, and the redemption offered by Christ to the world. Even so, he missed his greatest opportunity in speaking before the United States Congress to the nation as a whole. Pope Francis said nothing in this speech that would undermine the widespread assessment of his papacy (true or not) as toning down traditional Catholic concerns for dual-sex marriage and the protection of the unborn.
Reprinted with permission from Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D.
