Page 14 Irish Daily Mail, Saturday, September 26, 2015 His policies might divide his flock in the US but Francis’s humble humanitarian nature has united them c o m m e n t If you can’t explain, Mr Murphy, then go THE matter of whether a Government minister is entitled to enlist the assist- Charisma, ance of gardaí in order to get to a vital meeting is one that divides public opin- ion. While some members of the public will view it as an unacceptable example SATURDAY of the political elite taking liberties with the guardians of the peace, there is another body of opinion that might sup- dispatch port the practice, viewing it simply as an positivity act of co-operation between one arm of the State and the other. At first glance there appears to be some justification for Minister Dara Mur- phy asking two on-duty gardaí to ferry him to Dublin Airport after his car broke down in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, as he tried to make his early morning flight to Brussels. and a caring In the face of public criticism he could argue that as a Government Minister, he had a duty to attend his high-level by Edward J Lordan ­meeting in Brussels and was entitled to take all reasonable actions to secure that end. But the problem is that the account ontifice Francisco is that is emerging of Mr Murphy’s official making his first visit to engagements somewhat undermines his the United States this social nous. insistence that he was under severe pres- week, and it’s a three- sure to make his flight. city whirlwind tour For it appears that his official engage- that’s captured Ameri- ment on the day of his arrival in Brussels Pca’s imagination. The ’s six was not an emergency at all but a meet- days in America are packed with ing with the Irish ambassador that could speeches and events, with his have been deferred. ‘Shepard One’ whisking The main purpose of his visit – to meet him between states and his mod- EU ministers – was scheduled for the day ified Popemobile shuttling him That’s why after his arrival, giving him ample time to between crowds. The trip has all make alternative travel arrangements. Even accepting that all flights to the the trappings of a U2 tour, includ- European city were fully booked, there ing a 30-person entourage, were many options available to the massive crowds and exhaustive ­minister that didn’t involve calling on media coverage. So, how are Americans responding? the much-depleted ranks of the Garda. Well, it depends on who you ask. One in five US citizens is Catholic, and 71 per cent of them approve of Francis’s this papal He could have flown to London or Paris performance as Pontiff. That’s a higher and taken an onward flight or train to his approval rating than that of any of his final destination, arriving in good time predecessors, but 18 points lower than it was a year ago. for Monday’s critically important sum- The drop has been most significant mit on the migrant crisis. among Catholic conservatives, reflecting But there are other questions surround- some of the more controversial – and lib- ing the incident that give rise for discom- eral – pronouncements from the Vatican fort. The account the taxi driver gives of over the last 18 months. his dealings with the Junior Minister for Americans have responded to the dichotomy in Francis’s philosophy with a visit is so European Affairs is at odds with the form of ‘cafeteria Catholicism’, cheering latter’s version of events. him on when they agree with his posi- According to the taximan, the minister tions, and rejecting or ignoring his pro- balked when he heard the price of the nouncements when they disagree. round trip to Dublin Airport while the Traditional ? The darling of the minister insists that he was already right. Global warming? The hero of the installed in the Garda car when the taxi left Most Americans do agree, however, that driver returned his call. they are excited that he’s in America. There is also the presence of his wife special to ‘This is such a great opportunity for the Tanya on the trip. United States,’ says college professor What possible role could she have to Michael Boyle from Prospect Park, Penn- play if her husband is engaged on crucial sylvania. ministerial business? ‘Pope Francis has brought new energy to the Church and it is great for our region The various threads of this narrative – to be a part of this experience. from the Garda escort to the conflicting ‘With people coming from all over and version of events and the presence of Mrs the world watching, it truly will be an Murphy on the trip – have disturbing international event.’ echoes of the bad old days when Francis’s US tour kicked off on Tuesday Americans high-handed ministers such as John with his arrival at Andrews Airforce Base outside of Washington, DC. In the first of O’Donoghue thought nothing of deploy- many unprecedented moments, ing the apparatus of State in their President Barack Obama and his like this make a difference. along party lines. Both sides the economic spectrum. service. wife Michelle met him at the tar- Francis’s first day in the US prefaced their remarks by declar- The Pope’s popularity, however, That it occurred in the very week when mac. Washington is a city that’s featured two firsts: the first time ing their excitement and grati- is part blessing, part curse. Tick- reports emerged of the terror that exists accustomed to hosting dignitar- a canonisation was held on tude for the Pope. Conservatives ets for every papal event are hard in rural Ireland about violent crime and ies from around the globe, but American soil and the first time a then emphasised their agree- to come by, even when Francis the arrival of the worldwide pope addressed the United ment with his pro-life senti- appears in massive forums. burglaries due to the lack of gardaí, leader of 1.2billion Catholics has States Congress. ments, while liberals chose to The largest public arena in the squad cars and the closure of Garda sta- been hailed as something par- The much-anticipated speech talk about his comments on eco- DC metro area is FedEx Park, tions adds insult to injury. ticularly special. before the American legislature nomic disparity. home of the Washington The minister’s assurance that had a The Pope’s advance team has reflected large, policy-related Redskins football team and a crime wave been unleashed, the Garda been hyper-vigilant to every themes, including immigration, stadium comparable to Croke car would have turned around immedi- detail of the trip: Every back- economic disparity and the Park, but the facility was not drop, speech and meeting is death penalty. he Pontiff’s morning even considered for hosting the ately and headed for the crime scene is a highly scrutinised and fraught The speech was more motiva- Pope’s open-air appearance. pathetic justification for his behaviour among the most influ- with meaning, and the schedule tional than confrontational, but ential political leaders Instead, the Pontiff paraded and only serves to make his explanation is a delicate balance of interac- clearly resonated more with lib- in the nation was around the national mall, a mas- even more threadbare and tion with the most powerful and eral lawmakers. brief: he declined their sive promenade stretching from unsatisfactory. powerless segments of society. The Pope even took a moment lunch offer so that he could lunch the Lincoln Memorial to the Pope Francis’s arrival at the to encourage legislators, who T Capitol building. Unless Minister Murphy gives an imme- with 300 of the city’s homeless in White House, for example, did have become increasingly frac- a tent outside St Patrick’s Francis’s supporters have trav- diate account of how he exhausted all not include the customary 21- tious in recent years, to work elled from the far reaches of the travel options to Brussels and his . The symbolism gun salute, in deference to the toward common goals and find was not lost on his flock, many of country, and from many coun- reasons for diverting two gardaí from Pope’s preference for avoiding areas of co-operation. whom marvelled at his ability to tries beyond, to be part of the their normal business, then it is incum- trappings of power and his repu- Predictably, the political ‘walk the walk’ by showing event, but the sheer volume bent on the Government to tell him to tation as a man of peace. Details response to the speech broke respect to Americans across makes it impossible for 99.9 per leave office. Irish Daily Mail, Saturday, September 26, 2015 Page 15 His policies might divide his flock in the US but Francis’s humble humanitarian nature has united them

planning the conference has been rocky, at best. Initial excitement about the Pope’s visit quickly gave way to grumbling as plans were released piecemeal, sometimes including contradictory information. For a two-month period, city officials stressed the possible delays and security measures so much that projected attendance began to dwindle. In recent weeks, the city and con- ference officials have reversed course, stressing ease of access as they try to regenerate enthusiasm and boost attendance. There is also the issue of footing the bill: Local taxpayers have raised concerns about the amount of civic money involved in what is, essentially, a religious activity. The Pope’s visit is also one of the final events in the second term of Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter, who has assured citizens that no city money will be used to support the conference or the Pope’s visit. His estimate of $12.5million to cover the city’s cost for police, fire protection and other city services has been met with suspicion. Finally, when it comes to Philadel- phia, there is the less-than-warm relationship between Pope Francis and his Philadelphia host, Arch- Charles Chaput. Francis’s open mind toward the Church’s role in the world stands in stark contrast to the traditionalist views of the Philadelphia – one of the most conservative lead- ers in the American church. Chaput has publicly supported the visit, but his enthusiasm appears tepid and the weekend temperature between the two men may be chilly. This papal visit here has inspired a burst of entrepreneurial enthusiasm that has very little to do with reli- gion. Free tickets to papal events are being offered on eBay for $500. Homeowners who long ago rented out their Philadelphia city-centre houses to out-of-towners have taken their windfalls and fled the city for the week. Restaurateurs and hotel- iers in Philadelphia expect a lucra- tive weekend but are concerned that officials’ contradictory messages may keep the faithful from making the pilgrimage.

he number and variety of items bearing Francis’s image are a testament to creativity, if not taste: posters (‘Tour de Fran- Tcis’), bobbleheads ($25) and bumper stickers (‘Proud Catholic Capital- ist’). Then there’s a Pope toaster that burns the Pontiff’s image into a slice of bread, and a life-size stand- up cardboard Pope that sells for $160 (perfect for selfies.) Positive And then, there’s the party. The vibes: Pope Philadelphia Brewery Company has Francis introduced a new beer called ‘Holy Wooder’ (a nod to the local pronun- greets ciation of ‘water’) to commemorate children in the weekend, and a consortium of 20 Washington bars in the middle of the city have announced a ‘Pope crawl’, with pro- ceeds promised to a food bank. Zoe Farqhar, a local college stu- cent of them to get anywhere near some of the largest crowds in recent day evening. This city does every- season. ‘He’s going to re-invigorate dent, captures the spirit of the bach- him. American history, federal, state and thing big: there are five times more the Catholic Church in the United anal: ‘I’m planning to go because I It’s not only the size of the crowds local government security officials Catholics in the New York City arch- States,’ she says. want to celebrate this pope in par- that are a challenge, it’s the age of are working to ensure the safety of diocese than there are people in Washington DC and New York City ticular. I’m not Catholic so the Pope the participants. everyone, particularly the Pontiff. Dublin. It is also home to the United represent America’s political and has never been a huge part of my life, As in many European nations, the Their measures have sometimes Nations, the perfect platform for the economic capitals; the Pontiff’s third but Pope Francis is the ‘pope of the Catholic population in the United tested the patience of residents in Pope to address the planet as a destination represents America’s people’ and my values and beliefs States skews significantly older than host cities who see some security whole. His speech there yesterday history. Dublin has the GPO and Kil- resonate well with what he teaches….. the country’s population in general. measures as not only intrusive, but was a worldwide event as well as a mainham Gaol, Philadelphia offers I’m not sure if any other pope would While the crowds for the events so far overzealous. local one. Independence Hall and The Liberty inspire people to go on bar crawls have been multi-generational, large Along with security concerns, there In the run-up to the New York visit, Bell. The city is the birthplace of the much like Pope Francis has!’ groups of seniors create additional is a second issue that hovers over the Manhattan – an island which is nation and contains some of the Meanwhile, the other major religion complications for everything from Pope’s trip that cannot be ignored: choked with vehicles and people on most important historical sites in the in the region, American football, has transportation to medical support. the Church sex abuse scandal. the best of days – was a series of country. been tied in to the Pope’s visit as The challenges are compounded by In a number of American archdio- closed thoroughfares and snarled The Pope’s visit is the highlight of a well. Philadelphia’s hometown team, security issues. This month, Ameri- ceses, the wounds from the Church traffic. Francis may be the fifth pon- five-day World Meeting of Families in the Eagles, is off to a dismal 0-2 start, cans commemorated the 14th anni- administration’s response to the sex- tiff to visit New York City, but his Philadelphia – an enormous gather- and desperate fans are hoping that versary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, ual abuse crisis remain very fresh, visit is an entirely new experience for ing of experts and researchers, cler- the Pope can lay his hands on players which centred on two of the three and victims’ rights groups were furi- many people in the region. ‘I think ics and laymen, all exploring the and help change the team’s fortunes. cities the Pope is visiting. Years after ous when the Pope used one of his it’s great that this pope has chosen Church’s interpretation of the Should they win tomorrow, Philadel- the attacks, many Americans still initial speeches to praise American now to visit the United States,’ umbrella concept of ‘family’. phians feel, the Pope will have truly live in an ongoing low-level state of for their ‘courage’ in han- gushes lifelong Catholic Barbara The subject is not without contro- performed a miracle. fear, which is heightened whenever dling the crisis. Hennessy of nearby West Caldwell, versy, with breakout groups covering large crowds of people gather for From the nation’s political centre, New Jersey, who feels that Francis topics ranging from economic dis- *Edward J Lordan is professor of public events. the Pontiff flew north to America’s provides a much-needed antidote to parity to LGBT issues, and women’s communication studies at West Ches- With the Pope’s visit generating financial centre, New York, on Thurs- the political bombast of an election rights to abortion. The city’s role in ter , Pennsylvania