Archbishop adds Motor City can be leader in pope’s call for responsible stewardship

Detroit — Pastor, teacher, leader, motivator and father. Pope Francis wears many hats as pontiff — besides his mitre — and all of them were on display during his visit to the United States.

During his first U.S. trip, Pope Francis spoke on a personal level with the American people, encouraging American Catholics to continue strengthening their faith, said Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, who was with the pope in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.

“The overall theme of Pope Francis’ messages was really encouraging,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “You could hear it in the tone of his voice and see the expression on his face. You just know he enjoys speaking with people and relating with them on a personal level.”

Archbishop Vigneron was in Washington on Sept. 23, when His Holiness arrived in the nation’s capital, and had the chance to speak with the pope at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, where the pontiff gave an address to the U.S. bishops.

“He gave his talk about encouraging us in our duties and the challenges we face,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “When I had the chance to speak with him, I told him I’d promise to do the very best I could to continue the New Evangelization in the archdiocese. He was very encouraging and very conscientious about the needs for many dioceses in the country to evangelize.”

The archbishop watched on a big screen Pope Francis’ address to Congress, picking up a point many missed in conversations about the pope’s message on the environment.

“Not a lot is being said of this, but he spoke about the environment and the need to advance technology to come up with solutions to improve the environment and how we use the earth,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “To me, this seems obvious. The pope talked about using technology and developing industries that are more sustainable and are good stewards of the earth, which is something which can resonate in Detroit, the center of so much technological growth.”

Wherever the pope goes, he brings a wave of enthusiasm and renewed interest in the Church, backed with his message of mercy and forgiveness, the archbishop said. Archbishop Vigneron believes Pope Francis’ popularity is a direct result of his humility and speaking style.

“It’s his different and effective way of communicating with people,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “He has a style of communication that is very engaging, and people find him quite accessible. It’s a little bit like speaking with your grandpa; he feels like a member of the family.”

Pope Francis’ pastoral style had an effect on the crowds, he added, with a sense of reverence evident during the papal visit.

“The atmosphere was very peaceful, very joyful,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “It was a time to greet one another, show consideration for one another. One of my favorite images was when I saw a family at an intersection getting their picture taken, and it was a police officer that was taking the picture for them; that’s public service. It was just great to see so many people have mutual respect for one another.”

Archbishop Vigneron believes it’s a sign of providence that Pope Francis leads the Church during the archdiocese’s evangelization initiative, saying the pope’s message fits well with the goal of bringing the good news to more people.

“He calls on us all to have the perseverance to hang in there,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “To present the Gospel to people who find it difficult. He is calling us all to be joyful disciples, and he is coming to the U.S. at a time when we here in Detroit are taking the call for the New Evangelization really seriously. It’s a great boost and a great encouragement.”

Of all the roles Pope Francis has, Archbishop Vigneron specially noted his role to call all Catholics to a mission of spreading the Gospel.

“He was here to call us to a mission, he mentioned that several times,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “He mentioned everybody has that mission. During the World Meeting of Families, he said we can be on permanent mission to make family very important to us, to share the good news with our families, and then extend the family of the Church with the good news.

“That is why he was here, to share the good news of what Christ makes possible. To make us witnesses and proclaimers of God’s love for us.”