Seeing, hearing pontiff leave Arkansans in awe

WASHINGTON -- In addressing a joint meeting of Congress, Pope Francis urged cooperation for the common good. Several members of Arkansas' Washington delegation said they hope senators and representatives absorb that message.

"The challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United States," Francis told lawmakers, dignitaries and guests Thursday. "The complexity, the gravity and the urgency of these challenges demand that we pool our resources and talents, and resolve to support one another, with respect for our differences and our convictions of conscience."

Outside the building, tens of thousands of people -- including a few hundred Arkansans -- waited hours to watch the pontiff's address on large screens, and were rewarded with a brief appearance by the pope and a blessing.

U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said he thinks the pope's message of caring for others will stick with congressional members.

"This is a person that has dedicated his entire life to serving others, serving the poor, serving those that need it the most, so I think that he got a very warm response from the Congress, and everybody was really interested in what he had to say," Boozman said. "Sometimes we have different ways of solving these kind of problems, but I think his talk resonated with the members of the Congress."

Boozman said that as a Baptist it was interesting to watch Catholic congressional members and guests.

"I'm not of the Catholic faith, but I understand what an important moment this is for so many. It's fun to be a part of it and just kind of see the reaction they have as their spiritual leader is here," Boozman said. "It's hard for us that aren't of the Catholic faith to understand the attachment, but it was good, it was exciting, and I think everybody enjoyed it."

U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., the only Catholic member of the Arkansas delegation, said it was surreal.

"[To] be in the chamber for this first address by a pope from the Western Hemisphere, that's amazing," Hill said. "I felt humbled and surreal, and as a Catholic, proud of the pope's message of stewardship, compassion."

He called the speech "a thoughtful message of civic and religious morality."

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., said the speech was a prompting that even though there should be robust debate, Congress should unite to lead on important world issues.

"Congress needs to hear that message. Congress needs to [hear] that message that we are better when we work together," he said.

Womack attended the White House event welcoming the pope Wednesday.

"I was fascinated with the entire last couple of days. It was a spectacular event by any measuring stick," he said.

U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., said he is glad the pope talked about the importance of family, an issue central to the pope's trip, which ends this weekend at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

"There were some really good comments in there that I certainly appreciated," he said.

U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said the pope's comments about compassion in all things stuck with him.

"He spoke of a lot of things compassionately, and I think it's the way we've got to look at a lot of things," he said.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said in a statement that it was an honor to attend the speech.

"This pope, like all popes, [is] the world's leading spokesman for religious liberty and peace among all mankind," he said.

Since Arkansas is a predominantly Protestant state that's far from Washington, there were plenty of tickets for Arkansans who wanted to at least catch a glimpse of the pope. Each House member had 50 tickets to give out; each senator had 200 tickets.

Mary Bratcher Reid, 54, traveled to Washington from Newport.

Along with her daughter, Logan Wright of Little Rock, and her 5-month-old grandson, Brock Wright, Reid rose before dawn Thursday to arrive at the Capitol by 6 a.m.

After waiting for five hours, she witnessed Francis step onto a Capitol balcony and bless the multitudes.

"Seeing him in person, it just made my heart melt, and it gave me chills at the same time" said Reid, a member of St. Cecilia parish in Newport.

Virginia Marcellini, a Catholic from West Memphis, was also outside the Capitol on Thursday morning.

Seeing the leader of the Catholic church is "a very spiritual experience. It's an awesome experience," said Marcellini, a retired Delta Air Lines flight attendant. "I just love him and everything he says. ... It was a wonderful thing to see him."

Brenda Lemus, a lifelong Catholic who grew up in Crawfordsville, also made the trip. Getting to see Pope Francis is "heartwarming," she said.

"I want to cry every time I see him, don't you?" the Sarasota, Fla., resident said. "This pope is really special."

Helena-West Helena native Ariel Kingsley said she arrived at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, early enough to grab a spot on the Capitol lawn "maybe a quarter-mile" from the balcony where the pope appeared.

"Basically, I was as close as I could get without being a VIP or having a disability," said Kingsley, a 27-year-old George Mason University research coordinator. "We were really close to one of the Jumbotrons, so it was great."

Raised a United Methodist in Jacksonville, Kingsley said she has been inspired by Francis' emphasis on social justice.

"I'm a fan of the pope. This pope. I think he's really amazing," she said. "The issues he spoke to are very important to me."

While she was impressed by Francis' message to Congress, she was also inspired by the crowds that gathered outside the Capitol. "There was such a huge diversity of people there ... all different languages, all different ethnicities, all different ages. It was just really cool."

Also in the multitudes was Michael Kinzer, a recent American University graduate who grew up in Northwest Arkansas.

The 22-year-old, whose parents attend St. Vincent de Paul parish in Rogers, said he was "maybe 1½ to 2 football fields away" from the balcony where Pope Francis greeted the crowd.

"I was close enough to make out his white robe, not close enough to make out the features of his face," Kinzer said. "It was a beautiful day. ... People were excited."

For those who follow Francis' papacy, the themes of Thursday's speech were familiar, Kinzer said. "He didn't say anything that surprised me."

Metro on 09/25/2015