Newt Gingrich: This is the best way to commemorate Pope Francis

During the past Holy Week, Callista and I attended the Unstained Cathedral of Our Lady in Washington, D.C.

The Cathedral is the largest Catholic church in the United States and one of the 10 largest churches in the world. It can accommodate over 3500 people and on Easter Sunday it stands in the room only.

I was shocked by the extraordinary diversity of people in the cathedral when people were receiving the communion. During each of these three days, all kinds of dress and races pay tribute to the fact that the Roman Catholic Church is truly universal.

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As Basilica points out on its website, with over 80 churches and orators, the diversity of Catholic faiths around the world is well represented:

“The nationality and race represented throughout the cathedral includes Africa, Austria, China, Cuba, Czech, Filipino, Filipino, French, German, German, Dutch, Hungarian, Indian, Irish, Italian, Korean, Latin American, Lebanese, Lebanese, Lithuanian, Malta, Polish, Slovak, Slovak, Slovakia, Slovakia and Vietians.”

The late Pope Francis’s focus was on helping and loving everyone, which greatly promoted the appeal and growth of the Catholic Church. Especially in Africa and South Asia, there has been a huge increase in adoption of Catholics. This is reflected during the Cathedral Easter.

When Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose Francis as his pope name in 2013, it clearly demonstrated his commitment to a pope focused on the poor. Like Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis is determined to reinvigorate the spirit of Christ to help misfortune, oppressed and marginalized. Just last Thursday, Pope Francis went to Regina Caeli, the central prison of Rome, to meet with 70 prisoners. He washed his twelve feet in the tradition of Christ, and washed the feet of the apostles. Pope Francis is committed to the commitment to contacting all, a powerful signal of caring and inclusiveness that opens the door to the church to those who are spiritually and physically needed throughout the planet.

The openness to everyone that was exhibited at the Cathedral last week.

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I have long been in the great Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963, saying: “I think it’s one of the tragedies – one of the shameful tragedies – Sunday 11 a.m. is one of the most quarantine times in Christian America, if not one of the most quarantine moments.”

Pastor King gives us a powerful test to transcend the benchmarks of legal apartheid toward a society that integrates all Americans. I think Pastor King and Pope Franciscans are proud of the unity, sincerity and kindness that I witnessed at the Cathedral last week.

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Now, the most united moment in America may happen in cathedrals and other great churches. When Callista and I attended Mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, we felt the same way for people from every background to worship in a community of faith.

During Callista’s three and a half years as U.S. ambassador, we have experienced the same universality. With the second largest diplomatic representative of any country in the world (with Washington, D.C.) sitting at the Diplomatic Corps for Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, it reminds us of the diversity of the world, and the diversity captured by the Catholic Church.

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Despite his health challenges, Pope Francis visited countries such as Mongolia and East Timor. He continued the groundbreaking tradition of continuous publicity by St. Pope John Paul II. Now it is conventional to place the Pope far exceeds the Vatican walls.

We have to continue to engage with everyone in every background. We can seek redemption through faith at the heart of the Christian tradition. This would be a suitable tribute to Pope Francis’ memory.

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