Pope Francis speaks …
On Thursday
I listened to Pope Francis as he spoke to the joint meeting of Congress and I
couldn’t help but compare the two gentlemen behind him as he spoke. Vice
President Joe Biden listened attentively and with respect and an occasional nod
of his head as if he agreed with something the Pope said. In contrast House Speaker John Boehner blubbered
through … continually dabbing his eyes with his handkerchief and barely holding
it together. I was going to write about
how distracting it was and how, to me anyway, it was an example of the difference
between the two parties.
However, I
am glad I did a bit of research before writing this entry. I did not know that John Boehner is Catholic
and that the visit of Pope Francis was the culmination of a dream that he’d had
for many years. John Boehner was
literally overwhelmed and when he shocked the House the next day with his
announcement that he will resign as Speaker of the House in October I couldn’t
help but think that perhaps he had actually listened to the Pope’s words.
I wonder how
many of the others in attendance did the same?
In his address Pope Francis said “If
politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it
cannot be a slave to the economy and finance.”
Heavy words and ones that must have made a large number of Senators and
members of the House cringe. I wonder
how many will actually have the moral fiber to follow through with change.
As each day
goes by and I watch the shenanigans that are taking place in the effort to find
a viable Republican candidate to run for President in 2016 I just shake my
head. I think my bumper sticker says it
all: "DEMOCRATS for SANITY"
posted by Ginnie at 5:00 PM
6 Comments:
First, I like your bumper sticker.
Second, I have always been a bit put-off by Boehner's instant cry feature. But, truth be told, we don't allow men to cry in public, and maybe we should.
Third, in addition to the point that Boehner is Catholic, we now know he was getting ready to announce his surprise retirement. So, no doubt that was on his mind.
Oh, my--what a chaotic, frightening, maddening, absurd spectacle this election cycle has become. And most of the nonsense is coming from the R side.
Plus what they stand for really really scares me. How did we get to this point in our republic?
Yeah, what a bumper sticker! That is great!
And Boehner... First, I think it is cool that both Biden and Boehner are Catholic and got to sit behind His Holiness. And I am still hurting that I did not get to go, but am grateful that I got to watch from the comfort of my living room! I can't wait to see who got my tickets... but back to Boehner... like you said, I am sure it was all on his mind and perhaps the Pope's words just pushed him a little bit over the edge.
But like his quote in my Musings this morning, "A leader without followers is just a man taking a walk." John Boehner.
This is going to be something to watch.
How sad is it that Congress had to seat special individuals along the aisles to be "Pope blockers" to ensure that other members of Congress did not try to touch the Pope or mutter unpleasantries as he passed by them? Have we really come to that? The answer is (unfortunately) yes.
A voice of sanity among a carnival of bought and paid for mediocrity and ideologues.
Both men are Catholic. John had a private meeting with the Pope as did Biden in Philadelphia. John Br. was a good leader. He was old school and understood that to get anything done you must compromise. Unfortunately, too many members of Congress from BOTH parties have a "my way or the highway". attitude. John will be missed by all. I thought Obama's words said it best. He offered high praise for his political opponent.
I did not watch this event and had not read about Boehner or Biden's reactions. Thanks for sharing them, Ginnie, and I feel that this current political arena js becoming more circus-like every day.
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