CNN’s love affair with Francis: “The People’s Pope”

The network stood out for its sheer time spent on Papal events, and effusive coverage of the man in white.

Religion editor Daniel Burke’s How the Pope brought our messy multitude together illustrates. And brings the visit together, after all.

He introduced himself as a brother, a son of immigrants, a neighbor from beyond our southern border.

He wanted our politicians to remember the country’s founding principles, he said, and encourage them to protect our families and our earth from an uncertain future.

In a country where Christianity often comes wrapped in an American flag, he said that we are better when we work together, when we don’t set aside our differences but celebrate them — wherever we are from, whatever God we worship.

He wanted to meet us, finally, to look into our eyes and share our struggles.

Pope Francis did that everywhere he went. Unlike politicians, who work crowds with the handshakes, smiles and scanning glances over the landscape, the Pontiff took his time with people, made eye contact, saw the children and lit up, noticed the disabled first, stopped to oblige selfies and let people know he saw them, they were important, and he loved them.

And somehow, stayed on an amazing schedule, after three days in Cuba and two days of crisscrossing DC, from the halls of power to the shelter of the homeless.

From Washington, he flew to New York, where he hit the city’s cultural icons with the speed of a tourist on a tight budget and the stamina of a man 40 years younger.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Central Park. The United Nations. Madison Square Garden. Of them all, he seemed to have the most fun at a little school in Harlem.

(An exhausted journalist asked a papal aide about this boundless energy. It comes from outside, the aide admitted, from the people he meets and the God he worships.)

There are many links attached to each visit, many addresses and impromptu stops, large addresses and intimate expressions of love and support. They will continue to come out, for what they – and he – left us.

But this CNN piece pulls together some highlights that give a snapshot not only of a Papal visit that struck awe, but a global news network encounter left awestruck.

The families caring for sick children who needed a spiritual shot in the arm. The priests who wanted to see their humble Holy Father. The immigrants who hear echoes of their voice in his softly accented Spanish.

The Pope’s people.

After a summer of racial injustice and riots, a season of political scapegoating and talk of building walls, he came to build a bridge — to be a bridge.

And he was. For at least these six days, he brought our messy multitude together: singing, dancing, laughing, crying, hoping, praying.

What they may or may not realize, is that when they watched -were riveted on – Pope Francis, what they saw was the global Catholic Church.