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Wayne Nichols
Dr. Amy L. Trogan
Composition 1-ENC 1101-102
25 Mar. 2015
The Pope Gives Hope

In the article When the Pope talks, Kathleen Parker, Washington Post opinion writer,
suggests that when Pope Francis talks, people listen, that there is hidden significance behind the
dialogue, asking us to examine the underlying meaning of his intent and the placement of that
into Catholic lives. Parker continues to suggest that the worlds population studies what the pope
has to say, that he says what he means, and once he has said something, the light shed travels
with great speed.
There is a good chance that when the pope talks, people do listen. Great joy may be felt
by the multitude of believers when their faith is strengthened by their belief in the words the
pope is conveying to the faithful. Parker notes that different illustrations come to the forefront
when people continue to express their ideas about what they believe the pope is saying, the
interpretation of such left entirely up to the individual. Parker posits that the pope is saying more
with less words, that there is different meaning behind the words being used, and that people are
trying to glean a more enlightening view of life by the study thereof. While this could be true,
Parker does not provide enough information to state her claims and make her case valid. The lack
of convincing evidence, person to person interviews and additional personal statements leave
more questions unanswered than answered. Both religious and lay persons could have been cited
and interviewed, as the way the article reads leaves one questioning the absence thereof.

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The opening statement in the article conveys that people are intent on studying the words
of the pope and Parker gives specific examples in the text to support this theory. Parker may
have won over more converts to her essay style if more had been included, allowing the reader to
justify or reject what she had written. Parker writes about the simplicity of which the pope
speaks, asking what is he truly saying, and what does he mean by that. When the pope was newly
elected, he made it apparent that his papacy was to be one of focused attention on the poor and
downtrodden. In recent years the focus has been shifting to womens rights and their role in the
church hierarchy, inspiring to impress countless women to secure a larger presence in church
affairs. (Cornish) Parker quotes the popes recent trip to the Philippines, where notice was taken
that there wasnt a large contingent of women present at his appearances. According to Parkers
article, the pope suggests that women have many things to tell, look at life differently than men
and ask questions that we sometimes find hard to comprehend,which is great information;
however, it seems that more is needed to make an unbiased opinion. Parker then asks, what is
the pope really saying? In an online review of the book, The Future of the Catholic Church With
Pope Francis by Garry Wills, Wills states, Pope Francis heartens some Catholics and frightens
others, both for the same reason, the prospect of change. (The Guardian) Perhaps Parker is
alluding to the fact that the pope is an inspiration to others; while this is debatable, this article
lacks the detail to provide necessary support.
Parker cites Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC correspondent who assumes that the pope is
suggesting the church may sanction women to serve as priests in the future, that many Catholics
believe it to be timely, but it may also be a closed issue. Brzezinski concludes saying that the
problem is settled and that the pope has indicated that the door is shut. Parker suggests that the
popes words are productive and that they are left to interpretation, which can be highly

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suggestive. While it is common knowledge that women have been excluded from service work
in the church, more information from Parker is needed at this point to have the reader make a
qualified judgement. (When The Pope Talks)
Once again, Parker references an outside source, Robert Mc Clory, Northwestern
University journalism professor who wrote a comparison article for the National Catholic
Reporter where the suggestion is made by the pope that the door is not closed tight, that it can be
opened. While this is a potent argument, Parker has neglected to provide adequate data to
support her thesis. Based on the ideas quoted in her article, Parker advocates that the pope is
insinuating in his talks that there may be more intent behind what is being said. Parker may have
had more success at a thorough article had she completed more analysis or interviewed the pope.
Religion is a purely personal matter, but when it is bandied about in the press for all to see it can
certainly be misunderstood, which is precisely the risk that Parker takes here. There is a wealth
of information that Parker has available at her fingertips that could support and add substance to
her article, but she neglects to include the most important points. At a minimum, a more level,
balanced and insightful approach would have gone far to convince the reader; Parker seems to
have adopted a less is more approach, leaving the reader clamoring for more facts.
In conclusion, based on the article content and subject matter, there seems to be a
disregard to include enough information one would expect to find in the body of this essay.
One possibility could be the publishing guidelines used by the Washington Post or the
fact that not enough research was accumulated to arrive at the conclusion that Parker submits in
her essay.
As mentioned earlier, personal witnessing and interviews with religious clergy may have
given the article the correct tone and phrasing necessary to convince the reader that the pope

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does in fact listen, what he says holds weight, and the content does in fact matter to the believers
that this dialogue is intended for.

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Works Cited

Cornish, Audie. With New Pope, Catholic Women Hope to Regain Church Leadership
Roles. NPR.org All Things Considered, Opposing Viewpoints in Context. 1 Apr. 2013. Web.
17 Mar. 2015.
Parker, Kathleen. When The Pope Talks Washington Post.com The Washington
Post. 20 Jan. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2015
Wills, Garry. The Future of the Catholic Church With Pope Francis. New York: Viking
Press, 2015. Print. The guardian.com/Web. 10 Mar. 2015. 17 Mar. 2015.