Our Lady Queen of Angels school in East Harlem, NY
Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Pope Francis made the most of his short visit to New York City, bringing the love of Christ into focus for those who struggle to find Him through the everyday hardships and complexities of life.
While some criticized Pope Francis for not being more outspoken about abortion during his stay in Washington, DC this week, his speech to the UN was not nearly as nuanced and was laced with stern admonishments about everything from gender theory, abortion, and even the marketing of human tissue in a veiled reference to Planned Parenthood.
The characteristic compassion of Pope Francis shone with a particular brilliance this morning when he stood on Ground Zero in New York City and spoke about the pain and tears of this place where thousands lost their lives in a senseless act of destruction, but also the power of love and remembrance.
While some were disappointed that Pope Francis did not mention abortion by name in his address to Congress, Pope Francis told the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, he said that standing up for human life was the primary reason for his visit to this country.
Pope Francis chose not to chide lawmakers during his historic address to Congress yesterday but instead spoke of the greatness of the “land of the free and home of the brave” while touching on a variety of hot topics with his trademark compassion that brought both sides of the aisle to their feet.
On the second leg of his U.S. visit, Pope Francis landed in New York City yesterday afternoon where he was greeted by thousands of enraptured fans.
Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
In what was probably a big blow to the secular media, Pope Francis cleared up the misconception among the press that he is a “liberal” or left-leaning pope and reassures that he follows the social doctrine of the Church.
Today marks day one of the largest security operation in U.S. history as officials in several major cities, along with thousands of security personnel, mobilize to protect the enormously popular Pope Francis who arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Bethesda, Maryland at 4:00 p.m. today.
During a General Audience shortly before he left for Cuba, Pope Francis spoke about woman’s critical role in salvation history, saying she has a special God-given role in protecting each generation against evil.
The Pope’s long awaited journey to Cuba and the U.S. began in Havana on Saturday where he spoke about the need to reach out to the most vulnerable, met privately with former President Fidel Castro and told the youth of the nation to be ready to put themselves on the line for the sake of something greater than themselves.
