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Valley residents comment on Pope Francis’ visit to America
By LINDA M. LINONIS
Pope Francis’ messages of caring for the poor, the environment and immigrants have resonated with people of many religious beliefs.
His recent visit to the United States was a once-in-a-lifetime event for many, who have been inspired by his example. Here are some of their shared views:
Sister Jean Orsuto, director of Emmanuel Community Center in Girard, an outreach/advocacy ministry to help those in need: “The pope has sent a strong message to people in the United States, where there is wealth. He has challenged us to care for the poor and those in need.” Sister Jean said the pope’s example of visiting a soup kitchen in Washington, D.C., instead of having lunch on Capitol Hill, underlined his message of “being compassionate, having mercy and being caring.”
A member of the Humility of Mary order of nuns, Sister Jean said she appreciated the pope’s comments about what religious women have accomplished. “I’ll go on another 20 years,” she said of the inspiration.
The Rev. Lewis Macklin, pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Youngstown, watched coverage of the pope: “You don’t have to be Catholic to understand his message. I call it Jacob’s Well, where there’s common ground,” he said. “He’s effective because his message about caring for others is universal.” The pastor said the pope’s own lifestyle underscores his sincerity. “He reaches out to people of other faiths. He speaks so people can understand his meaning.”
Betty Paul, council member at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Lake Milton, watched news coverage of the pope to hear his message and to see people’s reaction: “He encourages people to talk to each other,” she said. Paul said she watched an exchange by a Democrat and Republican after the pope addressed Congress. It seemed they were moved to “find common ground” to work out problems, Paul said.
She, too, is inspired to reach out more to others. “It’s more than setting out a sign-up sheet and hoping people respond,” she said. “I want to look for people’s skills and talents and ask them to contribute.”
Eileen Novotny, spiritual director at the Ursuline Center in Canfield, is “inspired” by the pope because he “seems so different” from previous pontiffs. “He talks about Gospel values in the way Jesus did,” she said. She added that how the pope behaves, seeking out the poor, shows his sincerity and his mercy.
Novotny said she has been inspired to take a more proactive approach to save the environment; she added the Ursuline Center will offer a program in October on the pope’s encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si. She added Francis has motivated her to volunteer as a mentor in a Youngstown City Schools program.
The Rev. Gayle Catinella, rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Youngstown, was “very impressed” with the pope’s message. “I think he has touched people’s hearts so they want to make a difference,” she said.
The Rev. Jeffrey Mickler is a priest in the Society of St. Paul at St. Paul’s Monastery in Ellworth Township, which is dedicated to bringing Christ to the world through the means of mass communication. He noted the press often looks for “political angles to everything,” but the pope’s agenda is faith-driven, not political. “The pope knows media is part of his world today, but he’s not sophisticated about it,” Father Mickler said. He cautioned that news commentators often focus on a sentence or two uttered by the pope when it’s the message in its entirety that’s key.
Father Mickler pointed out that Francis said all priests can forgive abortion in the Year of Mercy. Father Mickler, who has been a priest 41 years, said most older priests already had that ability. Some media and people, he added, mixed up the facts, thinking that the Church permitted abortions. “I think Pope Francis’ authenticity comes across,” Father Mickler said. “He is a shepherd and pastor.”
Brian Corbin, executive vice president, external relations for Catholic Charities USA, formerly served as executive director for Catholic Charities Services and Health Affairs in the Diocese of Youngstown. He attended the welcome ceremony at the White House and the papal Mass at the National Basilica, where he saw others from Youngstown. At the welcome event with some 15,000 people, there was “excitement and energy,” Corbin said. The papal Mass was “powerful, prayerful and the music outstanding.”
Corbin said the pope’s visits to the Catholic Charities soup kitchen in Washington and Catholic Charities office dealing with immigration in New York underscore the pope’s interest in those areas.
Vince Lisi, spiritual teacher with NOW Creations in Youngstown, watched news coverage: “I think he spoke to what’s deep in people’s hearts ... lovingkindness ... the center of our being. That’s his greatest message.” Lisi described Francis “as truly a leader who was leading. I think the pope and Dalai Lama share a “spiritual hope for mankind” because both believe in “universal kindness from an open heart.” Lisi said he thought the pope will encounter a problem when church dogma conflicts with his message of inclusion.