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DN Editorial: HIS HUMBLE HOLINESS

ON HIS FIRST VISIT to America, Pope Francis turned the conversation in this country upside down. Instead of talking about the evils of immigration - a popular topic with so many politicians - he talked about the good immigrants do and how we should welcome them.

ON HIS FIRST VISIT to America, Pope Francis turned the conversation in this country upside down.

Instead of talking about the evils of immigration - a popular topic with so many politicians - he talked about the good immigrants do and how we should welcome them.

He also reminded Americans about something we should never have forgotten: that we are a nation of immigrants, that our strength comes from the wave after wave of foreigners who came to our shores, some of them in chains.

Instead of war - as in where to attack and fight next - he talked of peace, not simply as a goal but as a moral imperative. War, he reminded us, is destructive not only to those who wage it and those who suffer from it, but also to the human spirit.

Instead of obfuscating about climate change, he sounded a clear and forceful demand that we - especially the wealthy nations of the northern hemisphere - must act urgently and decisively to deal with it.

Instead of removing himself from the poor, he embraced them and, again, reminded us that those of us in this land of plenty have an obligation to help the least among us.

Francis often cited the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" - but not simply as a greeting-card slogan. The man made it clear he was on a mission to change not only the way we think, but also the way we live.

He didn't do it by scolding or finger-wagging. He made a sincere appeal, as Abraham Lincoln once said, to "the better angels of our nature."

His message of love, peace and hope - his challenge to live a better life - clearly resonated with millions and not just Roman Catholics. It had a universal appeal.

Partly it was because of what he said. People are hungry for a message urging humanity and love that pierces the static of everyday life, with so much hatred and prejudice and fear.

Partly it was because of the man who said it. The pope is the pontiff of 1.1 billion Catholics worldwide, but he does not act pontifical. He is a prince of the church who refuses to live a princely life.

He offers no ring to be kissed, but prefers to shake hands. He wears plain black shoes instead of $800 red Prada slippers. He prefers not to be called "Your Holiness," but, simply, Francis. He lives in a modest apartment in Rome instead of the papal palace. He's done this all of his life as a priest - as if he realized that the way to empathize with people is to live like them, to walk among them.

Francis not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. It's not his title or his white robes that demand people's attention. It is his sincerity, his humaneness.

You saw it when he kissed babies and hugged children. You saw it when he took the time to shake the hands of every inmate who gathered to see him at the city's prison.

He seems to draw energy from contact both with the innocents and the sinners.

Philadelphia deserves credit for how it handled the pope's visit. After getting over the shock of empty streets, without cars and traffic, people seemed to enjoy what was a festive occasion, especially for the pilgrim faithful who came from around the world.

As to the pope, he has gone home to Rome, but we hope his message - and his spirit - will linger.