POTUS and the Pope
July 13, 2009 at 7:59 am by Peter SchweitzerBy Peter Schweitzer
PoHo contributor
While many US bishops would wish it wasn’t so, President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict are eager to dialogue and engage each other on the world stage.
Prior to Obama’s Notre Dame speech, 83 US bishops had distanced themselves from the Protestant president for his stand on abortion. Yet, the supreme leader of their church, Pope Benedict, is willing to rearrange his schedule to meet with the US President and embrace him as a partner on many social issues. Benedict’s just published encyclical Caritas in Veritate, points out many more similarities to the young President’s agenda than dissimilarites. What does this say about the American bishops?
Perhaps it points to the pope’s broader vision for humanity. Perhaps it underscores Benedict’s realistic political view. He’d rather work with Obama on issues with which he agrees than fight him on issues which he’s sure to lose.
Most importantly for Catholics in the United States, it points to a growing chasm and disconnect between the US bishops and their faithful in the US. After all, Catholics are more likely to follow the lead of the successor of St. Peter than their local bishop.
At the very least, the pope recognizes that he and Obama have a similar vision on such issues as the economy, poverty, hunger, peace, social justice, the death penalty, and health care.
The pope is taking the traditional via media in dealing with the new US President. That’s good for US Catholics and disconcerting for US bishops who’ve sided with the Republican agenda the last few years.
Obama’s decision to make a pit stop in Rome before going to Africa was a smart move. He’s got an ally in the Vatican and he knows it.
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