Pope’s visit brought welcome perspective

'He is Humble in the face of adulation.”

Was that said about, a candidate for president, a CEO of a major American bank or corporation, or Pope Francis?

Well that was easy!

The visit of Pope Frances to the United States has given us a momentary break from the yelling and screaming of the race to the nomination to lead the Democrats and Republicans. It's safe to say that all of the media oxygen was sucked out of the Internet, newspapers, radio, and TV by this extraordinary event.

Even the shocking and important story of John Boehner's resignation as Speaker of the House did not eclipse the story of the papal visit.

What effect might this historical event have on election 2016?

I have consulted with my smartest friends and former students some of whom are now in their late 50s and very influential. Here is the takeaway:

First of all, the candidates for president from both parties seems so much less impressive having experienced 'Il Papa's” extraordinary sojourn in America. During campaign season they seem so impressive and irreplaceable. Now, not so so much.

Second, the great crowds drawn to Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders seem puny compared to the 25,000 who turned out to see the pope at Madison Square Garden, not to mention the more than 1 million people the pope will have personally touched and the almost 70 million Catholics and millions of others who were inspired by his presence. And, those crowds were in rapture, giving the pope standing ovations that any rock star and certainly any politician would die for.

Third, and most important, the pope brought a message of compassion and love for the ordinary and the needy, which is in stark contrast to the big money and big power that characterizes American politics.

We also need to recognize that immigrants were so much a part of every venue where the pope spoke. At a moment when refugees, immigrants, and especially undocumented immigrants and migrants are demonized they were in Frances's embrace. Whether that will ricochet into political debates about immigration or not, his compassion for the underprivileged and underserved will certainly hover uncomfortably in the background of those discussions.

My focus group also averred that the claim of closeness to God, Jesus and faith by some of the Republican contenders will seem hollow having seen and heard the man who for a billion or more people is actually the closest to God.

How many of our politicians stop to touch and comfort the ailing, the homeless, the broken and hurt?

Maybe we can learn something about kindness and the ecumenical spirit and infuse that into our politics. If the Prince of the Catholic faith can embrace leaders of most of the world's religions as he did at the Sept. 11 memorial then maybe Democrats and Republicans can try a little harder.

' Steffen Schmidt is professor of political science at Iowa State University. Comments: Steffenschmidt2005@gmail.com