--- title: Preaching Pope Francis's Politics May Be the Key to Becoming President description: Many candidates—Catholic or not—are seeking ways to tie themselves to the pope's vision canonical: https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/ author: Christopher Hale article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-24T13:19:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:26.072Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Preaching Pope Francis's Politics May Be the Key to Becoming President og:description: Many candidates—Catholic or not—are seeking ways to tie themselves to the pope's vision og:url: https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte262432b94ed8113/6988590aa988ca70176b3451/pope-francis8.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Vatican Pope Francis' og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Preaching Pope Francis's Politics May Be the Key to Becoming President twitter:description: Many candidates—Catholic or not—are seeking ways to tie themselves to the pope's vision twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte262432b94ed8113/6988590aa988ca70176b3451/pope-francis8.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Preaching Pope Francis's Politics May Be the Key to Becoming President > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=4400ffec-8cd1-4a2f-8564-836a55d66bc5&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=4400ffec-8cd1-4a2f-8564-836a55d66bc5&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=4400ffec-8cd1-4a2f-8564-836a55d66bc5&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Vatican Confirms Pope Francis’ 2015 U.S. Visit [Watch (HLS stream): Vatican Confirms Pope Francis’ 2015 U.S. Visit](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/bLAnNRoY.m3u8) (1:25)  _Published 2014-11-17. Pope Francis is officially coming to the United States next year for his first ever visit to the country as pontiff, and a lot of people are very excited._ by [Christopher Hale](https://time.com/author/christopher-j-hale-2/) ## Christopher Hale Jul 24, 2015 1:19 PM UTC  Pope Francis during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at Vatican City, on June 24, 2015. Pope Francis during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at Vatican City, on June 24, 2015.Massimo Valicchia—NurPhoto/AP by [Christopher Hale](https://time.com/author/christopher-j-hale-2/) ## Christopher Hale Jul 24, 2015 1:19 PM UTC To get elected in 1960, John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, was forced to tell the nation that he wouldn’t take orders from the pope. In 2016, no such separation will be needed. With a record number of Catholics seeking the presidency and the wildly popular Pope Francis visiting the nation this fall, many candidates—Catholic or not—are seeking ways to tie themselves to the mission and vision of this Argentinian pontiff. The times have changed. With a Catholic vice president, six Catholic Supreme Court justices, a Catholic Speaker of the House, and a large number of Catholics in Congress, [the golden age of Catholicism in American politics has arrived](http://www.catholiccourier.com/news/world-nation/historic-number-of-catholics-to-seek-us-presidency-in-2016/). This would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago. Kennedy was the first Catholic president. Irish-Catholic Al Smith likely lost the 1928 campaign because of his religion. This ascendency of Catholics to the forefront of American politics has only been accelerated by the groundbreaking papacy of Francis. His [September trip to the U.S.](http://time.com/3941415/pope-francis-small-visits/) will be a major event of the 2016 presidential primaries. Politicians and candidates are likely scheming how they can best utilize the pontiff’s first trip to the U.S. to push forth their agendas. Francis’s trip isn’t about politics, but it would be naïve to ignore the political implications of a visit during which he is expected to lift up his recent encyclical letter on the care for God’s creation, the religious obligation to defend the dignity of immigrants, the poor, and the unborn, and the moral scandal of social inequality and of an economy that kills. The political pinnacle of his trip will be his Sept. 24 address to Congress. If his [recent trip to Bolivia is any indication,](http://time.com/3953591/pope-francis-bolivia-speech/) the 2016 candidates better pay attention. Since the beginning of his tenure, Francis has asked politicians around the world [to change the conversation from horserace political issues to core issues](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-leadership/wp/2013/11/26/getting-inside-pope-franciss-head/) that are foundational to the common good: “I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the lives of the poor! It is vital that government leaders and financial leaders take heed and broaden their horizons.” This will be a message that will push candidates of all political stripes to challenge their parties’ political ideologies that too often are rooted in radical individualism. “The pope offers a message that is inspiring and challenging,” says John Gehring, the Catholic program director at [Faith in Public Life,](http://faithinpubliclife.org/) and author of an [upcoming book about Pope Francis](http://www.amazon.com/The-Francis-Effect-Challenge-American/dp/1442243201). “He is making new again what is ancient religious teaching about the common good at a time when our politics and culture are shaped by a libertarianism on the left and right.” If [polling data](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m1jNVTFRSArMLAEyMwPBpYfrnUpXrwOZ6hG9X0czryQ/edit) released Thursday showing support for Pope Francis’s messages is any indication, following the way of Francis isn’t just a ticket to heaven but maybe to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, too. _Read next:_ [_Hillary Clinton, Republicans Play Different 2016 Gender Cards_](http://time.com/3969997/hillary-clinton-trump-mcconnell-gender-mcconnell/?iid=time%5Freadnext) [_Download TIME’s mobile app for iOS to have your world explained wherever you go_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/time-mobile/id328218429) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/"},"headline":"Preaching Pope Francis's Politics May Be the Key to Becoming President","datePublished":"2015-07-24T13:19:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:58:26.072Z","description":"Many candidates—Catholic or not—are seeking ways to tie themselves to the pope's vision","url":"https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/","keywords":["Religion"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte262432b94ed8113/6988590aa988ca70176b3451/pope-francis8.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Christopher Hale","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/christopher-j-hale-2/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte262432b94ed8113/6988590aa988ca70176b3451/pope-francis8.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Vatican Pope Francis'","caption":"Vatican Pope Francis'","creditText":"Massimo Valicchia—NurPhoto/AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/","name":"Preaching Pope Francis's Politics May Be the Key to Becoming President"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME RAW: Pope Francis Discusses Trump","description":"Pope Francis discusses Donald Trump's comments about him aboard the Papal Airplane.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/GuyptI00/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-02-18T18:23:23.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GuyptI00.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/","duration":"PT42S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Vatican Confirms Pope Francis’ 2015 U.S. Visit","description":"Pope Francis is officially coming to the United States next year for his first ever visit to the country as pontiff, and a lot of people are very excited.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/bLAnNRoY/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-11-17T15:55:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/bLAnNRoY.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/","duration":"PT1M25S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3970300/presidential-election-pope-francis-politics/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```