I was privileged to have been at many of Pope Francis’s Washington events this week. For two days he held Washington captive. His every move was recorded, his words were analysed, the issues he raised were noted and his moving gestures were the subject of rich commentary.
While the policy challenges posed by Pope Francis were significant, what I found most striking was the way he was able to firmly ground his message in an American narrative.
More than that, there were aspects of the visit to Washington that spoke of the amazing journey of the Catholic Church in America. A journey in which the many diverse immigrant groups who make up the Catholic community have moved “the rejected stones to the cornerstone” of life.
Pope Francis identified with the American story, referring to himself “as a son of an immigrant family ... happy to be a guest in this country which was largely built by such families.”
When Francis went on to describe the commitment of American Catholics to the “building of a society which is tolerant and inclusive ... [that] rejects every form of unjust discrimination”, he was reflecting an aspiration born of the difficult experiences many Catholics have faced in the US.
As late as the last century, Germans were shunned, Italians were scorned and Irish were victims of cruel discrimination. Catholics, in general, were not viewed, by some, as real Americans. Many believed that Catholics should not be president, since their loyalty was suspect. This was the reason why, in the 1920s, the popular Catholic governor of New York lost his bid for the presidency. And it was a major obstacle John F Kennedy had to conquer in 1960 when he ran for office.
Today, Catholics have overcome this prejudice and have become central to the American experience.
Barack Obama noted this when he said: “Holy Father, your visit ... reveals how much all Americans value the role that the Catholic Church plays in strengthening America ... feeding the hungry, healing the sick, sheltering the homeless, educating our children.”
And when Pope Francis appeared on the Capitol balcony to speak, one could not help but notice that the Congressional leadership that surrounded him included Catholics of German, Italian, Irish, Lithuanian and Hispanic descent.
It was a uniquely American scene, one worthy of reflection, since it tells a story that imparts important lessons on two critical issues confronting America today: the refugee crisis and the influx of immigrants crossing the southern border.
Pope Francis reminded all Americans of what they should learn from their history: “In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dreams of building a better future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners ... knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants. When the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not turn our back.”
And when he addressed the refugee crisis, the pontiff presented Americans with a great challenge, saying: “On this continent, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for their loved ones, in search of better opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way that is humane, just and fraternal.”
His message, drawn from the experience of immigrants from every age, was summed up in the words: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Developing this theme further, when addressing his fellow bishops, Pope Francis encouraged them to be welcoming to the newest immigrants and refugees noting that to do so was not only the right thing to do, it would also enrich their communities.
It was also striking that in the week that Pope Francis was pointing out these lessons drawn from the American Catholic experience, some Republicans were engaging in crude and vile Islamophobic attacks: Ben Carson claimed that a Muslim couldn’t be president because Islam was incompatible with the US Constitution and members of Congress rejected Mr Obama’s announcement that the US would increase the number of Syrian refugees it accepted, arguing that this increase could become a “pipeline for terrorists”.
That these arguments echoed those made by bigots against Catholics or Jews was disturbingly obvious to those “who had eyes to see and ears to hear”. And it reminds us of the truth that Francis sought to teach: that just as America’s history is one of groups overcoming adversity in the never-ending search for justice and equality, we must face head on the never-ending challenge to be vigilant in the preservation and promotion of these very same values.
James Zogby is the president of the Arab American Institute
On Twitter: @aaiusa