Washington D.C., Oct 2, 2013 / 14:43 pm
Reacting to the federal government shutdown, the U.S. bishops cited Pope Francis' advice to leaders that they cannot govern well "without loving the people and without humility."
"Do I love my people in order to serve them better? Am I humble and do I listen to everybody, to diverse opinions in order to choose the best path?" the Pope asked government leaders in his homily at a Sept. 16 daily Mass. "If you don't ask those questions, your governance will not be good."
The bishops included these words in their Sept. 30 letter to members of Congress about the federal budget impasse. The bishops called on Congress for "wise bipartisan leadership and moral clarity" to create a plan to ensure the government continues to operate and meet its responsibilities.
The letter was signed by Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the Committee on Migration; and Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace.