Event to commemorate Pope Francis’ fifth year as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
(South Orange, N.J., March 6, 2018)—Ahead of the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ election, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka will praise the pontiff’s leadership and legacy, in an event held tonight at Seton Hall University. He will be joined by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark; newly elected Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey; and Mary Meehan, Ph.D., interim president of Seton Hall University, each of whom will also deliver remarks to commemorate Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s fifth anniversary as the leader in the Catholic Church.
In his speech, Trumka will thank the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for filing an amicus brief in the Janus v. AFSCME case on behalf of the freedom of public-sector workers to form effective unions. He also will praise Francis’ support for the labor movement and working people across the world and for his message of solidarity.
“Pope Francis reminds us that our fate as a labor movement, our strength and our solidarity grows from our choice to be reborn in the defense of our neediest brothers and sisters,” Trumka will say. “Today, only one in 10 of America’s workers has the ability to bargain collectively with our employers through a union. Yet our labor movement defends the other nine workers every day.”
From Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si” to the need to welcome and integrate refugees and immigrants, in his speech Trumka will reaffirm the core values and issues that the labor movement and the Catholic Church have in common.