Rev.William Barber on the Passing of Pope Francis,

  Re. William Barber on Pope Francis. Poor People’s Campaign. 

So what does it mean for us to say, “I am Pope Francis” now?

It means raising a moral dissent against the abuse of political power that is disappearing immigrants in the name of national security today.

It means challenging the “magical thinking” of a Congress that says a budget that slashes funding for social programs will not harm real people.

It means proclaiming the good news that there is enough to take care of everyone and doing the hard work to build communities of care.

It means trusting the voices of poor and working people and working with them to build a better world.

This is why I am remembering Pope Francis not by going to Rome for his funeral, but to Washington, DC to launch Moral Monday at the Capitol, where the current crisis of civilization is reaching an inflection point as Congress moves to pass a budget that will make every illegal DOGE attempt to slash federal funding the law of the land. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has parroted the regime he aims to impress, calling this budget “one big, beautiful bill.” He says that Congress can cut $1.5 trillion from a $5 trillion budget without cutting people’s Medicaid or Social Security. This is what Pope Francis called “magical thinking.” It is a lie dressed up as a fantasy. And it will have disastrous consequences for all of us—especially the most vulnerable.

To be Pope Francis now is to stand up to a regime not unlike the one he experienced as a young man in Argentina—one that is willing to disappear people and disregard democratic norms. It is to take a stand with people whose lives depend on Medicaid and SNAP, federal housing assistance and Social Security. It is to proclaim that a better way is possible and to believe, even in the darkest night, that we are closer to the dawn of a better world than most of us are willing to believe. It is to affirm that the humble way of love that he followed as he followed Christ still has the power to transform our broken world.