I speak warmly of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church and for some people it’s enough to convince them that I am Catholic. I am not. My membership has been in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church for more than three decades. But, like Professor Carolyn Cooper, I am decidedly post-Adventist, and I agree with her that, among other issues, the SDAs, for the most part, should not be involved in higher education. It isn’t merely about academic quality, it’s about ethical practices and how they conflict with what education ought to do, and more so in a faith-based institution. Otherwise, the church in North America, especially, needs to address not just the gender issue, but structural racism within the organisation. Their conferences, the major coordinating regional bodies, remain divided in black and white, and de facto segregation is a feature of some of their educational institutions with negative organisational cultures deeply entrenched.

This does not mean that I will convert to Catholicism, or any other branch of organised religion for that matter. For now, I am enjoying Pope Francis — someone of such stature bellowing from a gigantic bully pulpit about many of the things that I write about in these pages every week, such as the need to address poverty and inequality in our society; to appreciate the inherent dignity of the individual; protect the vulnerable, both humans and animals; and to recognise the virtues of simplicity and humility.

Pope Francis rode through Washington, DC, and New York City, no doubt it could be paralleled to riding a donkey, like Mary and Joseph did on their way to give birth to Jesus, and as Jesus himself did into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. There were no automobiles then, but I doubt that if there were, Jesus would be riding in a Hummer or a limousine with hordes of bodyguards and bling and begging to be seen.

He left a mark on America. The day after his address to Congress, the first for a Pope, John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the house and third in line to the United States presidency, announced that he was resigning his position and from Congress all together at the end of October. Boehner was about to face another fight against right-wing extremists who wanted him to take a more hard-line approach to Barack Obama, the democratic president, including shutting down the government rather than funding the budget if the democrats continued to support the non-profit women’s health organisation, Planned Parenthood.

Boehner said he could have survived the challenge, but he did not want to further divide his party or put the country through another fractious political fight. His opponents say he would have been thrown out and he simply cut and run. That may be so, but I believe that Boehner, a Catholic, felt chastened by the words of Pope Francis, who spoke softly but with such tremendous moral authority about the need for a humane approach to those in need and for the rejection of racism, xenophobia, and inequality, issues with which the extreme right in the Republican Party do not seem to have a problem.

It was a heart-warming call to action that followers of Christ could not ignore, and a source of hope for those suffering the pangs of oppression because of their race, gender, socio-economic, or immigration status.

Here, in Jamaica, the battle continues for the soul of this country; for our signs of hope in the midst of barrenness on so many fronts. Even as we traverse difficult economic times, some of us want to see in our leaders, not the holiness of a Pope Francis, but a commitment to truth, honesty, authenticity, and a reasonable commitment to high ethical practices so that the people can trust their words and actions. For the most part, we see the exact opposite; one charade after another, but who cares as long as the system is being manipulated to serve their interest?

On the election in St Ann South Eastern, where Youth and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna ostensibly has been returned to her position representing the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) in the upcoming general election, I asked Deputy General Secretary Julian Robinson why the delegates’ list was so high, compared to others elsewhere. In Portland Eastern, for example, 274 delegates voted out of a possible 384. In Lloyd B Smith’s constituency, the vote was 66-36. In St Elizabeth South Western, it was 147 to 133 for the Hugh Buchanan win over Ewan Stephenson. These numbers seem more reflective of the numbers generally. So what accounts for this list of 1,056? Robinson said it varies by constituency depending on how many groups are registered.

But in research/scientific thinking, this is more than normal variation, and it therefore requires explanation, particularly when the challenger drops out citing concerns over the list, and one area businessman has written to the PNP Secretariat to complain that he discovered he was on the list as chairman of a group but he is uninvolved in any party matters, nor does he want his name or business misappropriated this way.

Who colt the game?

Why are our leaders so comfortable with subterfuge? What is our future when we are so selective in our calls for critical thinking, positive values and high ethical standards?

To whom should we look for hope?

Grace Virtue, PhD, is a social justice advocate.