Pope’s Visit Should Inspire All Americans, Including Non-Catholics: Lawmaker

Norman Parish | As of Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Pope Francis visited the U.S. for several days. His trip ended Sunday.
Pope Francis visited the U.S. for several days. His trip ended Sunday.

Pope Francis’ recent visit to the U.S should inspire and uplift all Americans, no matter their religion, said an Illinois lawmaker.

“It was transformative,” said State Sen. Jacqueline Collins (Dist-16th), who saw the pope at an event last week at the White House. “It was uplifting. It was a once in a lifetime experience. It was an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

The pontiff made his first visit to the U.S. with stops in Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia. His trip started last week and ended Sunday.

The pope made several speeches, including to Congress, the United Nations, hundreds of thousands of people in Philadelphia and even to prisoners.

After his speech to Congress, Francis rejected an invitation to meet with top congressional officials and instead met with the homeless, Collins said.

“That was a powerful witness,” she said.

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Illinois State Sen. Jacqueline Collins (Dist.-16th) saw Pope Francis at the White House. She said Americans should be inspired and uplifted by his visit.

Collins, an African American who is a long time Catholic, said his talks on poverty, guns, immigration, and eliminating the death penalty were messages for much of the U.S., including blacks.

During one address, Collins also pointed out that Francis referred to the slain Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a role model.

Several Chicagoans, many of them black, made the trip to the East Coast to see the pope.

Father Michael Pfleger, a white priest who heads the predominantly black St. Sabina Catholic Church, 1210 W. 78th Pl., also made the visit.

The U.S. has about three million African American Catholics and at least 75,000 of them live in Chicago. About 30 Catholic churches in Chicago are predominately African American.

“The pope called for everyone to be involved in reflection . . . and to spend more time in prayer,” Collins said.

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