Coinciding with Pope Francis’s visit to the U.S. this month a busload of social justice-minded nuns is touring the country, with three stops in Arkansas.
Sister Simone Campbell, of the lobbying group NETWORK, said she supports the Pope’s message of an inclusive economy.
“Politicians must use their power for the common good. We in the Catholic tradition know that private property and private ownership is a responsible way forward, but also that all of creation is to be used for the common good, even the parts that I own privately need to be used for the common good," said Campbell. "It’s that challenge to work together so we all benefit, is what I think Pope Francis is going to be talking about when he addresses Congress in the 24th."
The group stopped in Fayetteville at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and at First United Methodist Church in Little Rock on Sunday in an effort to foster a community dialogue.
“Faith for me leads me to know that we are a community that needs to be together. St. Paul says that we are one body, we’re in this together. If each of us does that part in our body we function well together. Right now in our nation our body’s not doing so well,” said Campbell. “We have people that are hungry, we have the racial divide, we have a economic divides, we have polarization over fear and police violence. There are so many ways that we’re divided.”
On Monday the group is making its final stop in Arkansas at 12th Street Empowerment Center before heading east. At the conclusion of the seven state swing, members of NETWORK will be in attendance at the Pope's address to Congress in Washington D.C.
