In 2013 Pope Francis advocated for the poor when he challenged the world by saying:
When we are generous in welcoming people and sharing something with them — some food, a place in our homes, our time — not only do we no longer remain poor: we are enriched. I am well aware that when someone needing food knocks at your door, you always find a way of sharing food; as the proverb says, one can always ‘add more water to the beans’…demonstrating that true riches consist not in materials things, but in the heart!
Likewise in 2015, besides hammering home dire warnings about what he perceives to be an impending environmental calamity, during his US visit, the Pope implored Americans to take into consideration the needs of the ‘least among us.’ That’s why, in an effort to set an example, rather than dining with members of Congress Francis chose to bless a humble meal hosted by Washington DC’s Catholic Charities.
In response to the standard set by the pope, and in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Madame Peng Liyuan’s State Visit, Barack and Michelle set quite an example of their own.
While the Pope was in Madison Square Garden citing Jesus walking among “second-class” citizens on the streets of New York City, the first couple was enjoying a post-papal feast that excluded holiness, the homeless, the indigent, and Jesus.
In lieu of the impoverished, in addition to Mr. and Mrs. Xi, the guest list for the Chinese State Dinner included lowly politicians, impoverished Hollywood mega-moguls, underprivileged global investors, modest billionaire CEO’s including Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, destitute liberal journalists, and a part-Chinese Grammy Award-winning entertainer known for his explicit lyrics named Ne-Yo.
Immediately after hearing the Pontiff at the UN directly reference “A selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity,” which Francis maintains “leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged,” Michelle showed up in a Vera Wang dress that probably set her old man back a good $15,000.