Love Conquers All: America’s Reaction to Francis’ Call for Change

It’s 4:15 a.m. Why am I awake?

No, I did not spend a night at Lau finishing a paper—instead I was up and getting ready to see the Pope. I was lucky enough to obtain tickets to view the papal address to Congress from the West Lawn of the Capitol. It was one of those crazy, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities tour guides brag about as they show wide-eyed prospects around the Hilltop.

My floor and I had planned to crawl out of our dorm at 4:45 in the morning and walk to the Rosslyn metro station, from where we would take the metro to Capitol Hill—a daunting prospect for a group of sleep-deprived and slightly hungry freshmen girls. We could just follow the hordes of people, right?

Once we arrived at the Metro station, it was still relatively empty for the day of such an important event. We used our metro cards, descended the terrifyingly steep escalator and followed the small groups of students sporting Georgetown sweatshirts to board a train.

The Metro became more crowded as after each stop, and once it was time to get off, we followed traffic towards the West Lawn. After walking through metal detectors and handing over our bags to be searched, we had made it.

There, it hit me: this was a big deal. I would get to see one of the world’s most important leaders and witness a monumental moment in history—I just had to wait three more hours.

I was amazed at the wide array of people before us: humanity was represented in all forms of race, gender, and age, united by the desire to see one man. There were new professionals working on the Hill that had somehow managed to sneak in lawn chairs, sporting business casual attire and clutching coffee in their hands. We were blinded by a haze of plaid on our left, as a high school class on a field trip passed by. Next to us, lying down on their picnic blanket, was a group of middle-aged women joking around to distract themselves by the fact that one of them had cancer, as she repeatedly assured them that she felt fine and her chemo was going well. From infants and octogenarians to religious clergy and laypeople, every ethnicity was represented. In solidarity, some began the chant “Viva el Papa.” Many members of the crowd joined in, even if they were not Hispanic.

In the state our country is in today, it’s incredible that one man holds enough power to bring a diverse nation together. It seems like we cannot agree on anything, as is made evident by the looming threat of a government shutdown on the day of the papal address.

At an event especially significant to Catholics, you would think everyone would be acting according to the famous Golden Rule, which Pope Francis himself cited: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” However, throughout our early morning wait, we saw many people who lacked respect for those around them.

As one woman came back from the bathroom, she had to weave through the entire crowd to rejoin the rest of her party. In spite of her polite “Excuse me’s,” she was assailed by snarky remarks asking where she was going and telling her that there wasn’t enough room. Another woman snapped at a teenager trying to rejoin her school group when the student politely asked the woman to move. People began pushing forward, trying to get better spots, and interrupted exhausted pilgrims who were taking naps or sitting down.

The viciousness was not only directed towards each other but also towards those projected on the somewhat small screens. When certain politicians, like presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and House Speaker John Boehner appeared, there were boos and jaunts from different sections of the crowd.

The crowd’s responses, elicited by the pope’s remarks, also illuminated the underlying divisions between the seemingly united crowd. Some cheered wildly when he mentioned respect for all forms of life, while others clapped especially hard when he mentioned justice for immigrants. Our country may never be united behind any certain opinion on some of today’s most controversial topics, and Pope Francis recognized this, as his address spoke fantastically to both sides. He placed everyone on the same level by reminding us that all of our ancestors were immigrants. His speech also called upon broader American ideals of justice and freedom that we as a nation can unite under.

Overall, the pope’s speech highlighted the varying religions as well levels of religiosity among the American people. Some people on the West Lawn were praying the rosary while others said they weren’t religiously inclined and simply attended to see someone famous. Even Catholics themselves were represented from all ends of the spectrum. Of the many religious viewers—identified by crosses they were wearing—different people supported varying ideas of the Pope’s discourse. Even though they all may have identified as Catholics, they each interpreted their faith and the overall mission of the Church differently.

It still is amazing to me that people travelled from across the country to see one man, and for a few hours, people were able to at least think about the power the government has to shape all of humanity. There is still something captivating about just seeing so many different kinds of people together co-existing, even if they disagree, which would not have been possible even 50 years ago. Society has come a long way in acceptance and in toleration of diversity. Seeing all of those people on the Lawn, I realized that we—all of different demographics—are America. It was a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of the diversity that constitutes America and the American dream.

As our Snapchats attested, our trip to see the pope was a success. I have a great story to tell to my family when I go home, and more importantly, I saw America in a different light, which will stay with me much longer than Pope Francis’s particular words.

Vinitha Raj is a freshman in the SFS.