The Pope Becomes a Political Football

The Hill: “Republicans want to use Pope Francis’s visit to Congress this week — the first-ever by a pontiff — to highlight their opposition to abortion rights. Democrats, meanwhile, hope the pope will lend new momentum to their efforts to address climate change, reform immigration law and win public approval for a nuclear deal with Iran.”

“Papal experts say Francis’s address to a joint session of Congress Thursday is unlikely to fit wholesale into either party’s agenda, though they expect it to be more of a headache for Republicans.”