Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

"Pope Francis, Cardinal Wuerl and the Washington Post" at America online

On Monday, Oct. 1, more than 700 students and Catholic leaders, interfaith partners and Washington insiders filled Gaston Hall at Georgetown University on a lovely autumn evening to discuss “the Francis Factor.” The event was the Inaugural Public Dialogue of our new Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life. In my upcoming column, I offer my own take on what impact Pope Francis may have on political life in Washington. However, it is worth sharing the Washington Post article by Melinda Henneberger, whose analysis and reporting on these matters is unusually thoughtful and provocative, and who captures well the encouraging spirit of the gathering:

The end of August brought differing images of American democracy. President Obama called on Congress to debate the use of military force against Syria, a consultation Congress had demanded but did not really want to face. They were unwilling to cut short their month-long recess to decide on an act of war. It was not an inspiring moment. (See my post “Washington and War” on America's blog In All Things, 9/2.) On Aug. 28, a few days earlier, the anniversary of the March on Washington in 1963 recalled another crucial moment when people and politics came together to confront a different question: how to overcome our nation’s original sin of racism.