Why Pope Francis's message of unity and healing still resonates today

Pope Francis's recent passing has left a profound void in our world—a spiritual leader whose environmental teachings transcended religious boundaries and offered a unifying vision when we needed it most. Reflecting on his legacy this Earth Day, I'm struck by how this "people's pope" embodied the values of simplicity, compassion, and stewardship that resonate deeply with me, despite my Jewish background.

Francis chose his papal name to honor St. Francis of Assisi, whose devotion to both Christ and the natural world established a powerful connection between spirituality and environmental consciousness. Through his landmark encyclical "Laudato Si," Francis questioned whether profit-driven societies could truly prioritize nature's rhythms and future generations' well-being. "Where profits alone count," he wrote, "there can be no thinking about the rhythms of nature." His message feels especially potent now, when short-term gains often overshadow long-term sustainability.

What makes Francis's environmental advocacy so powerful is its universal appeal. While Americans remain deeply polarized politically, clean air, clean water, and nature conservation have the potential to unite people across divides. His call to "leave behind our divisions" and emerge from the "dark night of environmental devastation" speaks to our shared humanity and collective responsibility. This philosophy extends beyond environmentalism into his broader teachings on acceptance, love, and peace—values that defined my generation before cultural shifts in the 1980s changed our priorities. As Francis famously asked about LGBTQ+ individuals, "Who am I to judge?" His simple question encapsulates a radical philosophy of acceptance that could transform our world. Because truly, what could we lose by giving peace and love a chance?

Chapters

• 0:00 Greeting and Introduction
• 0:13 Honoring Pope Francis
• 1:40 Environmental Message and Climate Crisis
• 5:10 Reflection on Love and Acceptance
• 7:08 Remembering the Values of Peace
• 8:40 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Topics

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Morning bitches and dolls. If no one told you they love you today, Then I love you Because you're you. Well, I'm in my office Slash studio In my apartment In North Hollywood, California, and I want to honor a man who is very true to my heart, Pope Francis. You don't know this about me, but because you know I'm Jewish, I'm not going to hide it. Obviously, the last name is Mendelsohn, but you know, Francis of Assisi. I could watch that movie over and over, and over and over and over again with Bradford Dillman. Oh my God, that movie. But Pope Francis really, besides John Paul II, Pope Francis was somebody that I listened to, watched on Netflix. Everything about him, His enduring message Unite to Heal God's Earth. I'm going to read this by Alison Angston, who's a guest contributor the Times Americans on the left and right are polarized, but nature, clean air and clean water are all issues everyone can rally around. Okay, so Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, honored Francis of Assisi with the name he selected for himself when he was elected as Pope in 2013.

Speaker 1: 2:15

800 years after his death, not only for his commitment to the natural world, but because of his deep devotion to Jesus Christ, as well as his ministry to poor people, including the establishment of the Franciscan Order. By the time Pope Francis assumed the papacy one of St Francis's central devotions the environment was already heavily politicized because of climate change. The Pope often spoke directly to both the issue and the context, addressing failures of world leadership and calling for policy reform, including in preparation of remarks for the United Nations Annual Climate Conference held in Dubai in 2023. That year, she began analyzing Francis's commentary on the environment and the year after, as the presidential election neared, she started examining the language used on this subject by Donald Trump and other Republican leaders. Francis's writings touch on many facets of climate change, including the intersection between science and religion, the need for cultural change in the way humans interact with creation and the role of greed endemic to the ecological crisis, as he termed it In Lodoto C. Praise be on the care of our common home. His landmark climate encyclical, he asked is it realistic to hope that those who are obsessed with maximizing profits will stop to reflect on the environmental damage which they will leave behind for future generations? Where profits alone count, there can be no thinking about the rhythms of nature, its phases of decay and regeneration, or the complexity of ecosystems which may be gravely upset by human intervention, Anyway. So, according to a recent Gallup poll, the ideologies of the American left and right are polarized they have been in the last 30 years but nature, clean air and clean water are all issues everyone can rally around.

Speaker 1: 4:28

Today is Earth Day. Okay, May the passing of Pope Francis allow us a moment to reflect upon this, upon his words, including those written for the climate conference in Dubai. I too, who bear the name Francis, with the heartfelt urgency of a prayer, want to leave you with this message Let us leave behind our divisions and unite our forces and, with God's help, Let us emerge from the dark night of wars and environmental devastation in order to turn our common future into the dawn of a new and radiant day. Thank you, Alison Angst. She's the director of the Center for Climate Journalism and Communication at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Speaker 1: 5:24

And when Pope Francis passed away, it really made me very sad, because I believe he was really the people's pope, which means he was also my pope and everybody in my family's pope and cared about what is happening to the people in the world, all over the world, and he said so many things in the 12 years that he was pope, that we could all listen to, about peace and love. You know every person in the world, including LGBTQ plus, and everybody, and nobody could judge anybody, because who are we to judge? Acceptance is the answer today to all our problems. If we could just accept everybody the way they are, for who they are, wouldn't we be better? If we preach love and understanding, wouldn't we be better? Wouldn't that the way it should? Isn't that the way it should be?

Speaker 1: 6:33

Your TikTok bubby really believes that, that if we preach love, all we need is love. You know, I've been doing my podcast on and off for a year and a half, maybe two years, I don't remember, but my philosophy is always all we need is love. That's all we need. It's really the truth and giving peace a chance. What can we lose when we do that? You tell me, what can we lose when we give peace and love a chance? You know my generation, the baby boomers, believed at that time.

Speaker 1: 7:16

Things changed in the 80s, let's all be real about it. But before that we were all about peace and love, being good to each other and being there for each other. I mean, why not? What did it hurt us to be and do those things and be there for each other. I have no idea why things change Money, greed, I don't know. The 80s changed a lot of things, okay. So I'm just giving honor and respect to Pope Francis and I love the fact that he just kept a very simple life. He didn't want to wear all those fancy things that all the other popes wore and he just wanted to be buried in a simple casket. So, Pope Francis, TikTok Bubby honors you today and everything you said and preached, and let's continue to do that. You know so. Anyway, sending love to you all Wow, I'm sending love to all of you today. Post on how our governor, Newsom, has a drug reversal policy on Narcan, which is very important. We'll talk about that later, Okay.