Rep. Marcia Fudge writes fan letter to Pope Francis

Published December 13, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.

By Sabrina Eaton from the Cleveland Plain Dealer

What a week for Pope Francis.

First, the new pontiff from South America was named Person of the Year by TIME magazine, beating out luminaries including twerking pop star Miley Cyrus.

On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal released a poll that found Francis is way more popular among Americans than his predecessor, with 57% holding a positive view of him, and 34% describing their assessment as "very positive."

Today, Rep. Marcia Fudge of Warrensville Heights released a letter she wrote to the Pope in her capacity as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, applauding his efforts to bring attention to the downtrodden and likening his mission to that of the Black Caucus.

"Since the beginning of your service, you have been vocal about the need for elected officials to acknowledge the growing inequality in our world," said Fudge's letter. "You have called upon us to look beyond the superficial approach to problem-solving and to dig deeper in addressing the real needs of people in our society. You have asked that we work together to make the structural changes required to close the widening gap between the rich and the poor. For more than 41 years, this has also been the charge of the Congressional Black Caucus."

Fudge's letter pointed out that even though the United States is among the richest nations in the world, it has the second highest poverty rate among developed countries.

"In America, nearly 1 in 4 children go to bed hungry every night," her letter continued. "Due to neglect, our neighborhoods are crumbling and millions of individuals who are homeless seek but do not find shelter each day.

"In the U.S. Congress, the CBC continues to be a voice for the voiceless, and your compelling calls for economic and social justice reflect our own. You are prompting the world to see that if we do not act with urgency, we will all endure the consequences of an indelibly fractured world. We stand with you in your appeal against complacency, and we admire your courage in working to make sure the Catholic Church is deeply engaged in the most pressing issues of our time."

In an interview, Fudge said she sent the letter because she believes it's important for the Pope to know "there are a lot of people who agree with and support what he's doing," as he continues to make his mark. Fudge, who is Baptist, said most religions applaud the priorities the Pope has displayed on issues like taking care of those who are less fortunate.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/12/rep_marcia_fudge_writes_fan_le.html