Pope applauds virtues of founding principles
PHILADELPHIA — He spoke at Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed. He stood at the very lectern Abraham Lincoln used to deliver the Gettysburg Address. And he stepped forward to the stirring strains of “Fanfare for the Common Man.”
In a scene rich with historical symbolism, Pope Francis arrived in the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday, offering warm and affectionate words of welcome to immigrants and extolling America’s founding ideals of liberty and equality.
“Those ringing words continue to inspire us today,” the pope said of the Declaration of Independence, “even as they have inspired peoples throughout the world to fight for the freedom to live in accordance with their dignity.”
He cited the abolition of slavery, the growth of the labor movement and the fight for racial equality as proof that “when a country is determined to remain true to its founding principles, based on respect for human dignity, it is strengthened and renewed.”
At the same time, Francis warned that religious freedom is under threat. But it was not the hard-hitting discussion some conservative American bishops may have wanted to hear.
Loath to get dragged into domestic culture wars, the pope did not mention same-sex marriage, abortion or government-mandated birth control coverage by name. He spoke of threats to religious liberty in broader, more global terms.
Using the occasion instead to embrace other causes close to his heart, Francis encouraged immigrants in the crowd of 40,000 to celebrate their heritage and traditions.
On Saturday night, tens of thousands gathered on the wide Benjamin Franklin Parkway for a music-and-prayer festival featuring Aretha Franklin and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Francis came to Philadelphia to close out the World Meeting of Families, a Vatican-sponsored conference of more than 18,000 people from around the world.
Earlier Saturday, the pontiff arrived from New York at the Philadelphia airport, where a Catholic high school band launched into the theme song from the Philadelphia-set movie “Rocky.” There, Francis kissed the forehead of a 10-year-old boy severely disabled with cerebral palsy.
Then Francis celebrated a Mass for about 1,600 people at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, saying in his homily that the future of the Catholic Church in the U.S. requires a much more active role for lay Catholics, especially women.
By calling for more involvement of women and the laity, he seemed intent on healing one of the major rifts in American Catholicism that have alienated many from the church.
“He has a magnetic personality that not only appeals to Catholics, but to the universal masses,” said Filipina Opena, 46, a Catholic from La Mirada (Los Angeles County).