Each election year the Al Smith Dinner is an opportunity for presidential candidates to come together in a lighthearted moment to address Catholics, the media, and the political wonks who livestream the event on C-SPAN. As it approached this year, I couldn’t possibly imagine how an election that has been so mired by division, insults, and hate would translate into this traditionally good-natured event, but one candidate pleasantly surprised me: Hillary Clinton.
I’m a Catholic Sister who works in Washington politics, and I often think about what the role of faith is in political life. Pope Francis articulates it well, and says, “I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the lives of the poor!” Traveling across the country meeting with thousands of people during Nuns on the Bus, I’ve realized that it is not just Catholics who are drawn to Pope Francis’s message that we must care for the common good, but many searching people are looking for answers this election season as they decide how to cast their vote.
At the Al Smith Dinner, Secretary Clinton clearly articulated the appeal of Pope Francis to non-Catholics: “You certainly don’t need to be Catholic to be inspired by the humility and heart of the Holy Father, Pope Francis. Or to embrace his message… about rejecting a mindset of hostility, his calls to reduce inequality.” It was in that moment that it became very clear to me: Hillary Clinton is an example of that politician Pope Francis, and many people across the country, have yearned for.
My fellow Catholic Sisters and I have spent this election season talking to “Pope Francis voters,” people who are inspired by Pope Francis – not necessarily just Catholics – to vote for politicians who will address poverty, immigration, care for our earth, and the needs of our families once elected. Pope Francis voters are not just concerned with a single-issue dog whistle so often associated with the Catholic vote. Instead, Pope Francis voters are concerned with what we call Mend the Gap issues: mending the gaps in income and wealth through tax justice, living wages, family-friendly workplaces; and mending the gaps that have been exacerbated by the income and wealth gap: access to democracy, healthcare, citizenship, and housing. While pro-life values will continue to be a pillar of Catholic thought, Pope Francis voters incorporate all pillars of Catholic Social Justice into their decision making.
At NETWORK Lobby, the organization that I lead, which was founded by Catholic sisters almost 45 years ago, we’ve begun to use “Sister-Spirit,” to describe the sense of community present when people, not all bound by the same faith, come together to touch the pain of the world and then do something about it in a caring, humble way. Watching Hillary Clinton at the Al Smith Dinner was a shining example of what it means to have Sister-Spirit— a little sassy and a lot of compassion.
Secretary Clinton most demonstrated her Sister-Spirit when she talked about the Magis: “we need to get better at finding ways to disagree on matters of policy while agreeing on questions of decency and civility, how we talk to each other, treat each other, respect each other.” I have confidence that Hillary Clinton, perhaps due to the influence of Pope Francis and even her running mate, Tim Kaine, will bring Sister-Spirit into the White House by working across the aisle and across branches of government to promote the common good.
I appreciated the Sister-Spirit demonstrated by Hillary Clinton at the Al Smith Dinner in her approach, tone, and understanding of Catholics. While the Catholic voter has been much discussed this election season, we know there is a growing sophistication and complexity to who we are and how we behave. The Pope Francis voter values the needs of those who are most often left out – and we know these values are not uniquely Catholic. So, I call on each of us all to make the right decision for the common good and be Pope Francis voters as we head to the polls on November 8.