Christopher Hale
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
And you spoke about Lampedusa.
And one of the things that you talked about it being a point of entry, it's a point of entry between North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea and Italy and Europe.
But it's also a very poignant point in the history of the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis, that was his first trip outside of Rome.
He went there in July of 2013 and he said that very famous homily.
He said, We are a people who have forgotten how to weep for the sufferings of others.
So he's doing two things.
He's going, he's making a pointed statement to be there on the 4th of July, and he's also honoring his predecessor, who notably said that Donald Trump isn't Christian.
He said that in response to Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, his efforts to build the wall, which of course was what he ran on,
in 2016.
So it's this dual message.
But I think maybe what's maybe not known to your listeners is that he's actually going to speak to the United States.
He's received a Liberty Medal Award from Philadelphia, the city of Philadelphia.
On July 3rd, if you go and look through those, the previous recipients of them, they're progressive heroes and icons for the Asians.
So he's going to have a message for the United States, albeit it will be mobile, it will be remote on July 3rd, and then he'll be in Lampedusa on July 4th.
I am very excited for the front page of the newspaper, above the fold, below the fold, because truly, Leo will offer counter-messaging to what Donald Trump and J.D.
Benson, what dribble they might offer those days.
He's smart.
This man consumes media.
He consumes English media.