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Foreword

Pope Francis’ historic visit to the United States was an apostolic tour de force. From the first images of him descending from the plane at Joint Base Andrews military facility in Maryland and getting into his black Fiat 500L to the final Mass in Philadelphia before almost one million people, the pope from the “ends of the earth” captured the attention of our nation.

Most immediately arresting were the images: The first pope to speak to the U.S. Congress, flanked by a Catholic vice president and a Catholic speaker of the House; the embrace of Sophia Cruz, the little girl who broke through security for a papal hug; the slow drive through the throngs in Central Park in New York; the encounter with the prisoners at Curran-Fromhold prison in Philadelphia; the visit with the homeless at a Catholic Charities shelter.

The 24/7 news coverage feasted on these images and more, and Catholics and non-Catholics alike were transfixed. The visual media culture of the United States meshed with a pope who is keenly aware that he often preaches most eloquently through his actions and gestures. Stroking the face of a handicapped child communicates the abounding mercy of God more directly than a hundred homilies.

Yet what can be lost in the tumult of images is that his words were both profound and pastorally arresting. Take his first sentences to Congress:

I am most grateful for your invitation to address this joint session of Congress in ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave.’ I would like to think that the reason for this is that I too am a son of this great continent, from which we have all received so much and toward which we share a common responsibility.

Invoking a cherished American self-descriptor — “land of the free and the home of the brave” — the pope established his fellowship with his listeners — “I too am a son of this great continent” — and laid out the essence of his message — gratitude for our blessings and responsibility for what he so often refers to as “our common home.”

For the pope, there were always multiple audiences. Not only was he addressing those before whom he stood but also a national and a global audience. Not only was he addressing Catholics, but also the great religious mosaic of America’s citizenry, including nonbelievers. This realization shaped his speech. His language in speaking to Congress strove to highlight guiding principles. To the clergy and religious at vespers, his language was more direct and more intimate. And to the prisoners, he was humble and empathetic: “All of us have something we need to be cleansed of, or purified from. May the knowledge of that fact inspire us to live in solidarity, to support one another and seek the best for others.”

Each of the pope’s speeches, both in the United States and in Cuba, merit rereading. The nuances of his message — for example, his reference to religious liberty in his White House address, which is then elaborated on both at the United Nations and in Philadelphia — will become more clear and insightful with each review. At the same time, when the speeches and homilies are taken together, the great themes of this papal visit leap from the page: the care for others, the need for dialogue, the importance of encounter, the condition of the planet, the abundant mercy and providence of God. Pope Francis challenged each one of us: “What about you? What are you going to do?”

In the conclusion of his homily at the Canonization Mass for St. Junipero Serra in Washington, D.C., he exhorts us to rise to the occasion:

Father Serra had a motto which inspired his life and work, a saying he lived his life by: siempre adelante! Keep moving forward! For him, this was the way to continue experiencing the joy of the Gospel, to keep his heart from growing numb, from being anesthetized. He kept moving forward, because the Lord was waiting…. Today, like him, may we be able to say: Forward! Let’s keep moving forward!

I hope that as you read this volume you underline your favorite passages and write in the margins. I hope you use this opportunity to engage in your own dialogue with Pope Francis, which he so clearly wants. May revisiting these talks deepen your encounter with this humble pontifex, this bridge builder, this pastor to the world, as well as to the Savior whose Gospel he preaches without ceasing.

Greg Erlandson

Publisher, Our Sunday Visitor

October 2015