Democratic Morality: President Obama and Pope Francis Highlight the Importance of Empathy

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White House Strategic Communications Director Ben Rhodes told the press today that one of the highlights of the President’s trip has been meeting with Pope Francis.

“Obviously, the meeting with the Pope was a highlight for the President. Not only is Pope Francis somebody that he has great admiration for, but their discussion I think — the President was commenting — recalled his own roots working for a Catholic organization on the Southside of Chicago and that sense of trying to help bring hope to the hopeless places I think was something that the President found very moving in his conversation with the Pope. And so obviously that was a highlight for him.”

In a press conference yesterday, the President talked about his meeting with the Pope. He noted that the theme that “stitched our conversation together was a belief that in politics and in life the quality of empathy, the ability to stand in somebody else’s shoes and to care for someone even if they don’t look like you or talk like you or share your philosophy — that that’s critical.”

Watch the beginning of their meeting here:

The focus on empathy is the vital part of this meeting. One place where this President really shines is in his ability to find a common thread with other leaders and build a consensus from there. Obama knew that he and the Pope shared the value of empathy. From empathy, much growth is possible. So people can be far apart on certain issues, but if there is empathy, there is hope of consensus building on certain issues.

Asked about the potential “social schisms” between the Pope and himself, the President said they did not talk a lot about any social schisms. Rather they focused on the Pope’s concerns about the poor and marginalized as well as the challenges of conflict and how elusive peace is around the world.

President Obama said, “… he reminds us of what our moral and ethical obligations are. It happens also to be good economics and good national security policy.” President Obama articulated that the Pope’s job isn’t to come up with policies to address these problems, but rather to shine a light on them.

“His Holiness has the capacity to open people’s eyes and make sure they’re seeing that this is an issue,” President Obama said. “And he’s discussed in the past I think the dangers of indifference or cynicism when it comes to our ability to reach out to those less fortunate or those locked out of opportunity.”

Obama may not have said it right there, but this is a big issue with him. President Obama ran on “hope” for a reason. Cynicism only benefits the oppressors, it does nothing for the oppressed. A hopeful people will vote. Hopeful people will engage in the processes of political power. Hopeful people will work hard toward what they believe they can accomplish. Cynicism is a powerful tool of oppressors and that is why certain people work so hard to stoke the fires of cynicism while misinforming the populace.

“And then we spent a lot of time talking about the challenges of conflict and how elusive peace is around the world,” Obama continued.

The President explained that a lack of empathy is what makes it so easy to go to war and turn our backs on our own, “It’s the lack of empathy that makes it very easy for us to plunge into wars. It’s the lack of empathy that allows us to ignore the homeless on the streets. And obviously central to my Christian faith is a belief in treating others as I’d have them treat me. And what’s I think created so much love and excitement for His Holiness has been that he seems to live this, and shows that joy continuously.”

It’s amazing that Republicans can’t see the spiritual joy Obama finds in trying to take care of our own and trying to build toward a more peaceful world. This blindness says a lot about them, because it’s impossible to miss and it’s one of the reasons many people voted for Obama. For some reason this isn’t discussed in the media or polls — perhaps it comes down to a “trust” or like issue.

I’m personally familiar with several former Republicans who voted for Obama because of what they saw as his morality. This matters. It suggests that many more people than we know wish to have a country that takes care of its own. It is this quality, as evinced in their platform (not just words), that distinguishes the Democratic Party’s sense of morality from the Republican claim to own God.

Much can be made of their differences on certain social issues, but President Obama didn’t focus on differences with the Pope. The Pope doesn’t need to agree with President Obama on a woman’s sovereignty over her body. The Pope is not running this country. The Pope can and does shine a light on other matters of great importance to civilized people. His positions on the poor and marginalized are a breath of fresh air. When he discusses the morality of taking care of our own, it gives Obama more political capital to push his own policies toward the same goal.

This is how we build toward peace. It’s not clean and easy. We don’t wait until we find the perfect person with whom we already agree — that accomplishes nothing. We struggle our way past the differences and focus on the basic value of empathy.

As this lofty discussion was being had, Republican Senator Rand Paul was making frat boy jokes on twitter aimed at making fun of Obama while he met with the Pope. Rand Paul the twitter troll is so far from being able to do what Obama just did, it’s not even in his wheelhouse.

Obama just showed the world how a real leader gets things done.

Sarah Jones

Listen to Sarah on the PoliticusUSA Pod on The Daily newsletter podcast here.

Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.

Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

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