Migrants embarked on the 300-mile walk from Budapest to Germany.
More than 150,000 people seeking to enter Europe have reached Hungary this year,
most through the southern border with Serbia, where Hungary is now building a fence
(StarTribune, 04 September 3015)
Migration / immigration is one of the major topics in Europe (and America) right now. Today the Pope is focusing on declaring Mother Teresa a saint of the Roman Catholic Church (“Mother Teresa to be made a saint on Sept. 4” -- MPRNews 
15 March 2016), but earlier in the European immigration debate last year Pope Francis weighed in, saying every Catholic parish in Europe should host a migrant family: “Speaking during the Angelus [the traditional morning prayer of Roman Catholics], Pope Francis appealed for "every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary in Europe" to take in a family (Migrant crisis: Take in refugee families, says Pope , BBCNews, 06 September 2015).
Same-sex civil unions is another major topic worldwide. "Pope Francis indicates support for same-sex civil unions" (BBC News, 21 October 2020).
Global warming: Pope Francis also gives advice on global warming. "Pope to urge swift action on global warming" (BBCNews, 16 June 2015), and other matters.
On 24 September 2015 Pope Francis addressed the U.S. Congress in a historic papal speech . "That day his holiness was the first pope in our history to address a joint session of Congress" (BBCNews, 6 February 2015).
On 1 September 2016, "Pope Francis says destroying the environment is a sin " in call for urgent action on climate change (The Guardian)
"Pope Francis has called for urgent action to stop climate change and proposed that caring for the environment be added to traditional Christian works of mercy such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick."
QUESTIONS:
1. What do you think the role of the Pope—a religious leader, but also the head of the Vatican State, recognized as a sovereign entity [basically, a country] by most other countries—should be vis-a-vis Global Cultures?
2. Seven of the nine Judges of the Supreme Court of the United States are Roman Catholic (since the appointment of Amy Cony Barrett to the Court). In your opinion, do you think that what the Pope says has any impact on how any of the Catholic Supreme Court Judges vote in cases put before the Court?
(Full disclosure, I am a practicing Roman Catholic graduate of the University of Notre Dame. [Does knowing that in any way influence how you might answer this question?])
Modules
for Class Participants Spring 2024 [calendar]
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