--- title: Pope Francis U.S. Visit: Five Political Controversies description: Before the pope even arrives in the United States, controversies have bloomed, with criticism coming from both the right and the left. canonical: https://time.com/4042597/pope-francis-us-visit-controversy/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-09-21T17:12:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:34.698Z article:section: Politics og:title: Here Are the 5 Controversies Over Pope Francis' Trip to D.C. og:description: Everything from gay marriage to climate change to communism. og:url: https://time.com/4042597/pope-francis-us-visit-controversy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dfc827cfa3f99b6/69886487cf40a8d9ddc3fca3/pope-francis-cuba1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Pope Francis gestures as he makes a speech to youngsters following a visit to the Father Felix Varela cultural center on September 20, 2015 in Havana, Cuba. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here Are the 5 Controversies Over Pope Francis' Trip to D.C. twitter:description: Everything from gay marriage to climate change to communism. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2dfc827cfa3f99b6/69886487cf40a8d9ddc3fca3/pope-francis-cuba1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here Are the 5 Controversies Over Pope Francis' Visit to Washington by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Sep 21, 2015 5:12 PM UTC  Pope Francis gestures as he makes a speech to youngsters following a visit to the Father Felix Varela cultural center on September 20, 2015 in Havana, Cuba. Pope Francis gestures as he makes a speech to youngsters following a visit to the Father Felix Varela cultural center on September 20, 2015 in Havana, Cuba.Carl Court—Getty Images by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Sep 21, 2015 5:12 PM UTC Pope Francis is the [popular leader](http://time.com/4020735/pope-francis-catholicism-quinnipiac-pew/) of a major religion, with [more than a billion followers](http://www.pewforum.org/2013/02/13/the-global-catholic-population/) around the world. But that doesn’t mean he can escape the Washington tar sands of political controversy. Before the pope even arrives in the United States on Tuesday, controversies have bloomed, with criticism coming from both the right and the left and aimed at both the Vatican and Francis’ American hosts. Here’s a quick guide: **• What he did in Cuba.** While in Cuba during the first leg of his trip, Pope Francis subtly criticized the communist regime, [arguing that people should not serve ideology](http://time.com/4041609/pope-francis-us-visit-cuba-mass/) in a mass and [giving former President Fidel Castro](http://time.com/4041823/pope-francis-us-visit-fidel-castro-gift/) a rather pointed gift. But somer American conservatives [have argued](http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/20/world/pope-notes-cuba-u-s-/) that the pope did not go far enough in his public criticism of communism. **Read More:** [_Pope Francis Focuses on the Individual in Cuban Mass_](http://time.com/4041609/pope-francis-us-visit-cuba-mass/) **• Who’s on the White House guest list.** An unnamed senior Vatican official [told the Wall Street _Journal_](http://www.wsj.com/articles/vatican-disputes-white-house-guest-list-for-papal-visit-1442533549) that there are concerns that the guest list for the White House welcoming ceremony includes an openly gay Episcopal bishop and an activist nun, among others. A White House spokesman said the list simply reflects [“the diversity of people in this country.”](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/09/21/press-briefing-press-secretary-josh-earnest-9182015) An advisor to the Vatican [shrugged it off](http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/09/20/can-carly-fiorina-capitalize-on-breakout-debate-performance-plus-catholic/). **• What he’ll say before Congress.** U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, who is Catholic, announced that he would boycott Pope Francis’ historic speech before Congress because of media reports that the pontiff would focus his address on climate change that has [“adopted all of the socialist talking points.”](http://time.com/4040743/paul-gosar-pope-francis-congress/) One liberal Catholic activist [noted](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/pope-francis-gosar-boycott) that Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict also supported fighting climate change. **• How he brokered the Cuba deal.** Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is Catholic, [told CNN](http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2015/09/20/gov-christie-on-the-pope-cuba-i-just-think-the-pope-was-wrong-so-the-fact-is-that-his-infallibility-is-on-religious-matters-not-on-political-ones/) that Pope Francis was wrong to [broker a deal](http://time.com/3637901/pope-francis-cuba-obama/) to reestablish ties between the United States and Cuba. “I just think the pope was wrong,” he said. “And so the fact is that his infallibility is on religious matters, not on political ones.” **• Who he’s canonizing.** While in Washington, Pope Francis will canonize Father Junípero Serra, an 18th century Spanish missionary. Native American groups in California and elsewhere in the United States [have complained](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/09/16/pope-francis-controversy-sainthood-junipero-serra/32499295/) that the arrival of explorers and missionaries spread disease and death and undermined native cultures. **Read Next:** [_The First Time a Pope Visited the U.S. Was Much More Complicated_](http://time.com/4042433/paul-vi-lbj-1965/) ### See Photos From Pope Francis' Arrival in Cuba  Cuba's President Raul Castro escorts Pope Francis during the pope's arrival ceremony at the airport in Havana, Cuba, on Sept. 19, 2015. Ramon Espinosa—AP  People react after the arrival of Pope Francis outside the airport in Havana, on Sept. 19, 2015. Claudia Daut—Reuters  People watch as Pope Francis is shown on television as he arrives in Havana, Cuba on Sept. 19, 2015 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  People disperse after Pope Francis' motorcade passed by in Havana, Cuba, on Sept. 19, 2015. Desmond Boylan—AP  People react as Pope Francis arrives at the airport in Havana, Sept. 19, 2015. Alexandre Meneghini—Reuters  People wave to Pope Francis in his popemobile on his way from the airport to Havana, Cuba, on Sept. 19, 2015. Ismael Francisco—AP  Pope Francis arrives for the first mass of his visit to Cuba in Havana's Revolution Square, Sept. 20, 2015. Tony Gentile—Reuters  People attend Pope Francis' mass at Revolution Square in Havana, on September 20, 2015. Adalberto Roque—AFP/Getty Images  Pope Francis gives mass at Revolution Square in Havana, on Sept. 20, 2015. Rodrigo Arangua—AFP/Getty Images  Pope Francis and former President of Cuba Fidel Castro during their meeting at Castro's residence in Havana, on Sept. 20, 2015. Alex Castro—Cuba Debate/EPA  Pope Francis flashes a thumbs up to the choir after holding a Mass in the Plaza de la Revolution in Holguin, Cuba, on Sept. 21, 2015. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  Pope Francis is greeted by Cuba's President Raul Castro as he arrives to lead a mass for Catholic faithful in the city of Holguin, Cuba, on Sept. 21, 2015. 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