• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
The U.S. Army's Caisson Detachment walks alongside a horse-drawn caisson carrying the casket of former President Jimmy Carter to the U.S. Capitol in Washington Jan. 7, 2025. At 100, Carter was the longest-living former U.S. president at the time of his death in Plains, Ga., Dec. 29, 2024. His body will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda Jan. 7-9. (OSV News photo/Marko Djurica, pool via Reuters)

The hopeful legacy of Jimmy Carter

January 15, 2025
By Effie Caldarola
OSV News
Filed Under: Commentary, Social Justice

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

As a harsh January wind blew outside, I sat in my cozy armchair and watched, often teary-eyed, as the state funeral of President Jimmy Carter was celebrated inside the magnificent Washington National Cathedral.

Snow blanketed the capital lawns and despite the solemnity, it was hard to forget the fires raging in Los Angeles. Or forget the fire raging in many hearts in our divided nation. But there’s one thing we do well in the U.S., and that’s funerals, especially funerals of presidents.

As five living presidents and other dignitaries gathered to honor Carter, there was a warmth inside the cathedral, as well as a feeling that is rare and hard to capture these days — a sense of hope.

Jimmy Carter has been the subject of countless retrospectives since his death on Dec. 29. For some years, we’ve had an unfair image of his one term in office as a “failed” presidency, yet a universal acknowledgement that his post-presidency was an extraordinary example of a life well-lived.

Under scrutiny, however, his presidency itself seems more inspiring. He was before his time in acknowledging global warming and trying to lessen the impact of fossil fuels. He worked tirelessly with Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin at Camp David to secure a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel that endures today. A son of the Deep South, Carter was committed to civil rights.

What most acknowledge is that Carter lacked the political skills to push forward his agenda. He couldn’t inspire the crowd. He was no John F. Kennedy, and he had no Ted Sorenson putting his ideas into eloquent speech.

In a CNN special, “Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President,” Carter enumerated the things that did not happen in his presidency — no shots fired, no missiles launched, no wars entered. He was proud of this, and invoked “the Prince of Peace” in his conversation. There was Carter’s heart, a true Christian, a man who, as someone once described Dorothy Day, lived his life “as if the Truth were actually true.”

Of course, funeral viewers were intrigued by who was there, and how they acknowledged each other. It was fascinating to watch Barack Obama and Donald Trump, seated together, chatting as if they were old friends. Trump and former vice president Mike Pence, the man Trump pressured to violate the Constitution by not accepting the vote of the electoral college in 2021, exchanged a brief handshake while Pence’s wife sat staring ahead.

Later, with friends, we discussed this. I thought the Obama-Trump encounter strengthened our tradition that political enemies can be civil to each other and that it was good for people to see that. Others thought it was hypocritical.

Nevertheless, by day’s end, Truth Social and Twitter (now “X”) were full of lies about the Los Angeles fires and other vitriol. Fortunately, I’ve never been on Truth Social, and I’ve helped my emotional health by deactivating my Twitter account. But it’s hard to avoid the hatred and lies.

The wealth of most modern presidents, including Carter, increased after their time in office and most of our congressional “public servants” are far wealthier after serving. But I find hope in Carter, who lived in the same humble house in smalltown Plains long after he left the White House.

During his homily at Carter’s funeral, the Rev. Andrew Young said, “Jimmy Carter, for me, was something of a miracle.”

During this Jubilee Year of 2025, when Pope Francis has urged us to be “Pilgrims of Hope,” I cling to miracles. I cling to the hope that if this great country produced Jimmy Carter, we’re not done yet.

Read More Commentary

Expert discusses serious harms of smartphones for children and how to limit their use

Cupcakes with 2025 graduation toothpicks in them and a bowl of cookies

Our 31-hour Road Trip

St. Paul and discovering that sin is ‘missing the mark’

Six lit candles on a chocolate birthday cake

Making a birthday wish come true

Pilgrims of Hope: Walking the Way of St. Francis in the Year of Jubilee

The fisherman and the pharisee

Copyright © 2025 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Effie Caldarola

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Expert discusses serious harms of smartphones for children and how to limit their use

Cupcakes with 2025 graduation toothpicks in them and a bowl of cookies

Our 31-hour Road Trip

St. Paul and discovering that sin is ‘missing the mark’

Six lit candles on a chocolate birthday cake

Making a birthday wish come true

Pilgrims of Hope: Walking the Way of St. Francis in the Year of Jubilee

| Recent Local News |

Father Herman Benedict Czaster, former Curley teacher, dies at 86

Loyola University Maryland graduate ordained Jesuit priest

Sister Ann Belz dies at 88

Archbishop Lori announces clergy appointments, including pastor and associate pastors

DUAL ENROLLMENT

Double the learning: Dual enrollment provides college credit to high school students

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Father Herman Benedict Czaster, former Curley teacher, dies at 86
  • Loyola University Maryland graduate ordained Jesuit priest
  • Sister Ann Belz dies at 88
  • Expert discusses serious harms of smartphones for children and how to limit their use
  • Movie Review: Superman
  • Judge blocks Trump birthright citizenship order as part of class action lawsuit
  • Ukraine religious leaders issue ‘desperate cry’ to world to end Russia’s war
  • Pope Leo wears Chicago-made vestments to July 9 ‘care of creation’ Mass
  • Movie Review: Sorry, Baby

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en