Readers Write: Pope Francis, immigration and the Easter message

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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As a traditional Roman Catholic, I have always had mixed opinions of Pope Francis. He certainly wasn’t a traditionalist, and he was not shy about it either. But then, neither was the founder of our church. Jesus Christ burst on the scene in a very nontraditional manner and immediately made his presence felt. He disturbed the scholars of his time, as well as the lawmakers. He welcomed everyone from Samaritans to Gentiles and, worst of all, the common sinners of the Jewish faith. None were excluded from his sermons and his parables.

To the adulteress, about to be stoned, he asked: “Where are [your accusers]? Has no one condemned you?” after writing each of their sins in the sand. When she responded they had left, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.” In that respect, Pope Francis was forever tracing the footsteps of his master. We traditionalists didn’t always agree with him, nor understand him. But now I, for one, believe he saw us as Christ saw us — ever needing guidance. It is with that belief that I see our Lord standing at the gate with arms spread open, welcoming yet another successor to his eternal reward.

That Pope Francis died the morning after Easter Sunday, after receiving our vice president, as a matter of fact, is also notable. The resurrection of Christ and the passing of his successor seem to make it all more clear. Our church is bursting at the seams these days. Catholicism is enjoying a new birth, and it isn’t just at Christmas and Easter.

So to that, even as a traditionalist, I must pay homage to His Holiness. His arms spread open, welcoming all to follow him, is the reason for this expansion of ours. Rest in peace, Your Holiness, for your earthly work is finished. Well done.

Robert Huge, Edina

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As a Jew, I think it’s unlikely that I will be called to either the Basilica in Minneapolis or the Cathedral in St. Paul to eulogize Pope Francis. So I will leave it to the Star Tribune to pass on my words, my blessing to the memory of this great man. Pope Francis was a man, a simple man, a parish priest, who believed in the dignity of all men. He emulated the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as I have studied it. This is a gospel of love and compassion as the highest virtues of man. He is wondrous demonstration of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s belief that “compassion is the basis of morality.” He used his final day’s energy, on Easter Sunday, to advocate for compassion for immigrants and against the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. His life and values stand in stark contrast to the current occupant of the White House. President Donald Trump believes all human interaction is transactional. He lacks any moral compass, any compassion.

Yet for all of his virtue, I wish that Pope Francis had taken a more aggressive approach in advocating for women within the Catholic Church. It is time, given the current state of the world, that women are elevated as coequal members of the human family. Maybe the woman can save Man from his worst impulses and save our planet, and preserve the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But I must forgive Pope Francis of this flaw. So I say: May his memory forever be a blessing to us all.

Vic Sandler, Plymouth

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It is with profound sadness that we mourn the death of Pope Francis. This kind and gracious man was a breath of fresh air in a world suffocating from self-righteousness, blind ambition, lust for power and militant autocracy. Pope Francis was a decent man who spoke the truth, embraced the poor, welcomed the immigrant and opened his arms to the young and the disabled. He was an outspoken advocate for peace and justice, never afraid to confront world leaders with the errors of their warring ways. With humor and humility Pope Francis demonstrated that God’s arms are open to all people ... especially the outcast and the estranged.

Although I am not a Roman Catholic, I join people of all faiths and of all nations in giving thanks for the Christ-like ministry of Pope Francis. He will be sorely missed. May God bless his memory and his legacy among us all!

The Rev. Alan Bray, St. Peter, Minn.

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One of the great certainties in this world is that when a pope sadly passes away, a new one takes over. That in itself leads into the dawning of the new era and the possibilities of a new future. May Pope Francis rest in peace.

William Cory Labovitch, West St. Paul

The headline to David Perry’s commentary asks, “If Trump comes for the U of M, will its leaders fight or fold?” (Strib Voices, April 19). The Board of Regents has already answered that question. One month ago the regents passed a new policy authorizing President Rebecca Cunningham to review and disallow public statements by the departments and schools of the university. She took her first action to do so by removing statements from University of Minnesota websites condemning the killings in Gaza — days before Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained its first Minnesota student. The regents knew those statements would be targeted, because they conflated the ugliness of antisemitism with the right to criticize governments.

On April 15, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs released a letter from a coalition of organizations condemning the growing antisemitism in America but also condemning the exploitation of concerns about antisemitism to undermine democratic norms and rights. The university’s censorship of faculty and staff reinforced the false messages coming from the Republican administration. Since then the lawlessness of federal immigration officials and federal threats to universities have proliferated.

In March our regents worried about fiduciary responsibilities while the rest of us are worried about democracy, the students at our public university and free speech. Harvard University has demonstrated what clear thinking and courage look like. The regents demonstrated what capitulation looks like.

Deborah Schlick, St. Paul

This Good Friday, millions of Christians heard again the biblical account of Jesus’ trial, condemnation and execution. Many of us sang the words to the spiritual, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”

The Gospels make it clear that Jesus was not guilty of the crimes of which he was accused; both religious and political leaders simply found it expedient to get him out of the way. So an insurrectionist and murderer was released, while Jesus was sent to his death.

The story is particularly chilling this year, as our own political leaders gleefully deport hundreds of men without due process to a prison known for its human rights abuses, in a country whose name means “The Savior.” Our attorney general — wearing a golden cross — works for an administration that has acknowledged that Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s deportation was an error, and yet she has said Abrego Garcia should stay there.

Jesus made very clear that his disciples will see him in this world in the stranger, the hungry, the sick and those in prison (Matthew 25).

Were you there? Yes, we are.

The Rev. Pamela Fickenscher, Northfield, Minn.