Pope Francis reaches from the popemobile as a child is brought to him along a parade route Sept. 23 in Washington. (CNS photo/Alex Brandon, pool)
NCR’s Washington columnist Michael Sean Winters has been closely following Pope Francis addresses and appearances in the nation’s capital today. Read his analysis of the major address:
Francis Canonizes St. Junipero Serra
The Holy Father’s homily at the Mass canonizing Fr. Junipero Serra was, like all this pope’s homilies, a meditation on the Word of God the assembly had just heard together in the context of our daily lives. I have said before that I sometimes miss the density of a Pope Benedict sermon but, especially at Masses for the masses like today’s, there is much to be said for accessibility.
Pope to US Bishops: Be Pastors, Not Culture Warriors
I have said all along that, for me, the most important speech the Holy Father will give is the one at St. Matthew’s Cathedral when he speaks to the U.S. bishops. The speech did not disappoint. Indeed, it is a masterpiece, not only touching on the themes of his pontificate but doing so in a way that his words evidence what he is talking about.
Pope Francis at the White House
The theme of the Holy Father’s talk at the White House was encounter and dialogue, just as it was in Cuba, a comparison that alone will make some of our conservative friends a bit hysterical. He mentioned that he is the son of an immigrant family in the second sentence of his remarks, and notes that America was built by immigrant families, surely another major theme of this trip.
