UNM researcher travels to track Pope’s visit to America

Professor Richard Wood, chair of UNM’s department of sociology, traveled with 150 other New Mexicans to research Pope Francis’ recent visit to America and its effect on the political forum, according to a University press release.

Wood traveled to Washington D.C. to watch Pope Francis address Congress from the capitol building, and he attended his speech on religious freedom and immigration at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

“What I focus on is the intersection of faith and public life in the United States,” Wood said in the release. “Think of it as religion and politics, but really thinking about when people of faith, of any tradition, come into the public arena, what difference does their faith make as they vote and as they take positions on issues.”

Wood said in the release that two things stuck out to him during his trip: the Pope’s request that all Americans to reach out to one another and close the gaps in our society, and how the public responded to that message.

Wood said in the release that it wasn’t just Catholics interested in the Pope’s visit, but those of all faiths and backgrounds alike.Wood said it’s that kind of wide reach that Pope Francis has that sets him apart and opens the Catholic Church to a wider audience.

“There is this kind of charisma about him that’s very powerful,” Wood said in the release.

During his time in Philadelphia, Wood was also able to join in a meeting with PICO National Network with Cardinal Peter Turkson, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and an advisor to Pope Francis, according to UNM. Wood saidthat in the meeting they spoke about the role of the Catholic Church in catalyzing grassroots work for the common good around the world, as well as the importance of holding politicians accountable to that task.

“Catholics are still about 22 percent of American voters, and if the pope’s message addresses them and helps them think and reflect on how they’re voting, that potentially makes a huge difference in the elections,” explained Wood in the release.

But no matter what the pope had to say during his visit to America or how many people went to see him during the visit, Wood said thatthe real test is what happens once he goes back to the Vatican.

“At the end of the day I think the real action here isn’t in what the pope says but in how the rest of us, American Catholics, and Americans of other faith traditions, and secular Americans respond to that message,” Wood said in the release. “He’s calling us to responsibility in the face of climate change, he’s calling us to widen our circle of concern for marginalized people in America. The real action lies in how we respond to those messages.”