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Politics and religion should not mix:
Catholic News Network reports December 17, 2014 that “Pope Francis personally appealed to President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro this year to encourage both leaders to normalize diplomatic relations, a senior Obama administration official said… Speaking on background, the official told reporters Dec. 17 that the pope followed up the personal appeals with letters to the U.S. and Cuban leaders, encouraging them to move forward on efforts to improve relations between the two countries.”2Both countries have followed this advice and have agreed upon certain policy changes as to how they will relate to each other going forward. As a result of the negotiations and subsequent resolution, Alan Gross, United States government contractor, was released from the Cuban prison after being held there for five years. President Obama met with Pope Francis in March of 2014 where the talk of improving relations with Cuba was discussed among other items. In a press conference, a senior White House official stated, “‘President Obama has enormous respect for Pope Francis, and his personal engagement in this was important to us.’”3 Showing his reverence for the Pope, President Obama, in a fifteen- minute speech addressed him as “His Holiness” as he expressed how the Pope sent personal appeals to himself and Cuban President Raul Castro to improve relations. The resolution resulted from “a year and a half of negotiations between the two countries, personally facilitated by Pope Francis.”4 It is evident that the Pope is influential in shaping the policies of nations and commanding the respect of national leaders. True to his mission as a self-proclaimed Jesuit, the Pope is not at all negligent of his mission as he works among the nations to accomplish the Papacy’s objectives. “Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of nations…5