What Is Pope Francis's Controversial Speech

It is no surprise that Pope Francis has been a prevalent topic in the US at this moment. Like many historical figures in our society, he has a gift with words, presenting speeches to inspire the people and reinvigorate the essence of the Catholic Church. This particular speech is no different, as he addresses the nation of America and the controversial topics that are currently plaguing the world, and offers his pacifist response to these issues, as well as encouragement to those in our country who strive to be good citizens. Through the use of allusions to his religion, American government, and current world issues, he gives an insight on his opinion of America, and how it tackles the issues that cause controversy and discussion among the

people. The tone of those prose is upbeat, generally hopeful and sanguine for not only the future of the United States, but for the future of the whole world and its cooperation, as shown in the following quote from Pope Francis: “I would like all men and women of good will in this great nation to support the efforts of the international community to protect the vulnerable in our world and to stimulate integral and inclusive models of development-“ Throughout the piece, his intention is clear; to inspire the many American citizens that look up to him and seek his guidance on these issues, and to also give a hopeful stance on international affairs.

Pope Francis begins his speech with “Mr.

President”, a title that is repeated many times throughout the text, and is used as an anaphora every time the Pope begins to make his next major point. Not only does he address President Obama, but often refers to Americans in general, who are his intended audience. An anecdote is also included, right after his introduction, to add on to his focus of America. “As the son of an immigrant family, I am happy to be a guest in this country, which was largely built by such families.” This statement makes him seem more relatable to the reader, or the average American that happens to turn on the TV that particular day and tune in to his speech. As this country was built on the movement of people, it continues to occur in this day and age, and even a foreigner such as the Pope can relate to the melting pot atmosphere and draw it that fact to form a connection with the audience.. The diction he uses ties in to this theme of connecting with Americans. Words with positive connotations pop up often; hopes, dreams, encouragement, tolerant, inclusive, etc. Also, he does not fail to mention his own religion’s leverage on America either. He does not call them simply Catholics, instead, “American Catholics.” How does this relate to his purpose? By the repetition of the word American, it places an emphasis on how he wants to reach this group of people specifically, that he intends for them to hear this and for it to inspire them. Pope Francis praises

their efforts to create a more tolerant and free country, despite the many allegations against the Catholic Church over the years. These small praises paint a larger picture, that he wants people to see the good in the world, but especially in America and in the Catholic Church, and in the freedom these factions strive to protect and preserve.

Once again, “Mr.

President” is used to start this paragraph, and his main focus switches to the topic of air pollution and climate change. The phrase “common home” is used as a loose metaphor for the world, to show how air pollution does not just affect one person, but rather all of those who share this common home. A brief allusion to Laudato Si 13 is also made, “a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.” This is meant to stress the argument, to start an initiative to Americans that there is time for change and development when it comes to negative impacts on our environment. The “common home” metaphor is used again, but this time its purpose is to give a glimpse of those who live in undesirable situations, who have always been spoken in over when seeking change, and that they are also an important aspect of this common home that everyone shares. A quote from Martin Luther King is also an allusion in the passage, threading together the references to equality and a common home, and summarizing his point that it is time to act on the change that has been promised for the world. Once again, he begins to stress the common home theme, through parallelism. “Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home” (Laudato Si’, 13). As Christians inspired by this certainty, we wish to commit ourselves to the conscious and responsible care of our common home.” This is an obvious sign to the audience that the phrase “common home”

holds a greater purpose as the theme, otherwise he would not continue to use an abundance of repetition. The switch from Americans to Christians also signals a point, that his audience has changed from America in general, to spreading a message of equality for Christians in America. Even as he concludes the piece, his friendly and welcoming diction is not lost, and he fittingly decides to end it with a very familiar phrase that also relates to his messages of peace and cooperativity; “God Bless America!”

In conclusion, Pope Francis uses a variety of allusions, positive vocabulary, and repetitions to flesh out his writing style, and to make his points clear to the audience as it is meant to not only inspire, but to open their perspectives to the common home. America is a central theme in his speech, as well as equality and freedom, two very defining qualities that comes to mind when someone is thinking about America, and his allusions to Martin Luther King and Laudato help to make this intention apparent. Mr. President, a repeated phrase, gives a lot of information about his outreach. Not only does the context show that he wants American Government to make a change for the greater good of others in our country and the world, but the common Christian people of America as well. His diction and overall style is positive, and generally hopeful for the changes he wishes to see take place, not to mention he always manages to end each topic on a high note. Mainly, his intentions can be summed up by the last sentence. “God Bless America!”