#  You’ll Love Naomi Klein's Take on the Pope's Popularity

     Details    Andrea Germanos   ![logo](https://www.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         September 24 2015       [ARCHIVE](https://www.citywatchla.com/archive)   - [  Previous Article **So, When DO We Make Healthcare Affordable?** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9683:so-when-do-we-make-healthcare-affordable&catid=16)
- [  Next Article **Dems Fear Another Gore Debacle … for Hillary** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9685:dems-fear-another-gore-debacle-for-hillary&catid=16)

  ###### Typography

- [](# "Smaller Font")  ****Smaller** **Small** **Medium** **Big** **Bigger****  [](# "Bigger Font")
- [](# "Previous Font Style")  ****Default** **Helvetica** **Segoe** **Georgia** **Times****  [](# "Next Font Style")

- [ Reading Mode](# "Reading Mode")

> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
>
> ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Sept-2015/078o.png)INSIGHT LITE-Author and activist [Naomi Klein](http://commondreams.org/tag/naomi-klein) (photo) joined a panel discussion on Comedy Central's *The Nightly Show* Wednesday and shared her thoughts on why Pope Francis' messages seem to be resonating so well with huge numbers of people.
>
> The segment aired the day ahead of the pope's [historic address to U.S. Congress](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/pope-francis-visits-america/pope-francis-addresses-congress-under-high-security-n432846).
>
> Responding to host Larry Wilmore's question on why the pope has become such a celebrity, the [*This Changes Everything*](http://thischangeseverything.org/book/buy/) author said, "I don't think it's about religion. I don't think it's that suddenly people are converting to Catholicism. I think basically he's kind of like \[Senator\] [Bernie Sanders](http://commondreams.org/tag/bernie-sanders) in a white dress, and people are psyched about it."
>
> Wilmore comments on how the pope is saying revolutionary things—including that God does not have magical powers.
>
> "He's talking about climate change, right?" Klein said. "And it's important to say God is not a magician because a lot of what you hear from right-wing Catholics is, 'We don't have to worry about climate change because God will just magic up our mess, and he loves us, and everything's fine.' And he is saying, actually, if you make a huge mess, you have to live with it. Mommy's not coming and neither is God."
>
> As for the Independent senator from Vermont's own view on Pope Francis' visit, he said on the Senate floor Tuesday that he hopes "that some of my colleagues would examine the very profound lessons that he is teaching people all over this world," and cited the pope's comments on the crisis of global inequality.
>
> ![](https://www.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Sept-2015/078p.png)"We are living in a nation in which the top one-tenth of 1 percent owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent. We are living in a world in which the top 1 percent owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 99 percent. The very rich are becoming much richer, while the rest of us become much poorer," Sanders said.
>
> "The pope is right in saying all of us must address the grotesque income and wealth inequality we are seeing throughout the world," he continued.
>
> The issue was among those the pope highlighted in his speech to lawmakers Thursday, [saying](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-francis-capitalism-poverty_5603f92ee4b08820d91bbddc), "I would encourage you to keep in mind all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of poverty. They too need to be given hope. The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes."
>
> *(Andrea Germanos writes for [Common Dreams ](http://commondreams.org)… where this piece was first posted.)*
>
> -cw
>
> CityWatch
>
> Vol 13 Issue 78
>
> Pub: Sep 25, 2015
>
> {module \[1177\]}

  - [  Previous Article **So, When DO We Make Healthcare Affordable?** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9683:so-when-do-we-make-healthcare-affordable&catid=16)
- [  Next Article **Dems Fear Another Gore Debacle … for Hillary** ](https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9685:dems-fear-another-gore-debacle-for-hillary&catid=16)
<div data-id="1" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-emailform eb-1 eboxContentLocker"
	data-options='{"trigger":"onPageLoad","trigger_selector":"","delay":3000,"early_trigger":true,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":1,"reverse_scroll_close":true,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":10000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"slideInDown","animation_close":"fadeOutDown","animation_duration":400,"disable_page_scroll":true,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #1 - Global Email Signup Form","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog eb-formVer" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog1" aria-label="dialog1">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<form action="https://citywatchla.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=34d69f33624fd058ee9b56516&amp;id=4bfa422f51&amp;f_id=00d6c2e1f0" class="eb" method="post" id="mcform-1" name="mcform-1" target="_blank">
			<div class="eb-form-header"><p><img src="/images/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png" alt="be a city watcher" width="350" height="97" loading="lazy" data-path="local-images:/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png"></p>
<p>Sign up to receive our special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evenings!</p></div>
	
					<div class="eb-field-row">

			
			
			
			<input class="eb-input" type="email" name="EMAIL"  placeholder="Email address"  id="EMAIL" value="" required>

			
		</div>
										
	<div class="eb-footer">
    	<button class="eb-btn" type="submit" name="subscribe" style="background-color:rgba(93, 183, 93, 1);color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)">
    		Sign up    	</button>
    </div>
</form>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>
<div data-id="3" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-yesno eb-3 "
	data-options='{"trigger":"onScrollDepth","trigger_selector":"","delay":0,"early_trigger":false,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":2,"reverse_scroll_close":false,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":1000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"fadeInUp","animation_close":"fadeOut","animation_duration":300,"disable_page_scroll":false,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #3 - Yes \/ No Donation Popup Box","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog " role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog3" aria-label="dialog3">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<div class="ebox-yes-no">
	<div class="ebox-yn-text">
		
		
		<div class="ebox-yn-headline" style="font-size:22px;color:#888888">
			<p>If you only give once a month, would you consider giving to CityWatch?</p>
<p>Your support fuels our mission to promote and facilitate civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment, and to hold area government and its politicians accountable.</p>
<p>Would you like to help? Even if you can only give $5, it will make a difference.</p>		</div>
			</div>
	
	<div class="ebox-ys-buttons" style="font-size: 16px;">
		
<a
					data-ebox-prevent="0"
		data-ebox-cmd="close"
				target="_self"
		href="https://www.citywatchla.com/donate"
		rel="noopener"
	
	
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#2ec664;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Yes
	</a>
<a
	
	
			data-ebox-cmd="close"
		href="#"
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#ef2345;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Not Right Now
	</a>	</div>

	</div>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>