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Part XII of “Fourteen Letters to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV” Series
Dear Holy Father:
Can you please help elevate Florida, the third-largest state, to become one of the richest states in the country? Right now, it is ranked the 20th poorest state. This columnist wrote a series of 17 articles from 2022 to 2024 about transforming Florida into a socioeconomic giant that can be called the “State of the Future.” Since Florida’s political policy and decision-makers are failing to produce socioeconomic solutions for the Sunshine State’s many problems, perhaps Your Holiness can help. After all, as the new pontiff, you are also a natural-born American citizen and head of the Vatican State. Maybe you would like to extend the socioeconomic projects suggested to be part of a “Prevostlution of Hope”, a term coined by this columnist.
Approximately 21% of adults in Florida identify themselves as Catholics. This figure is based on a 2024 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. Based on recent U.S. Census Bureau data, approximately 81.2% of Florida’s population is aged 18 and over. This means about four out of every five Floridians are adults. And nearly 26% of the adults belongs to the Catholic faith and they are your constituents because you are their moral-and-spiritual leader.
The moral authority of the papacy is also to contribute to the socioeconomic development of believers, such as the Catholics of the Sunshine State. The first argument raised as to why Your Holiness must help rests on the fact that the “Fountain of Youth” is located in the City of St. Augustine, Florida, which was founded in 1565. It is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the continental United States. It predates English settlements, such as Jamestown (1607) and the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock (1620). The Spanish expedition established St. Augustine as a strategic base and developed it into a sophisticated town with a distinctive grid-like layout.
It’s where Spanish explorer Ponce de León discovered the healing waters in St. Augustine that supposedly maintain one’s youthful exuberance. And Ponce De Leon’s expedition was accompanied by Augustinian missionaries. As the first pontiff from the United States, Your Holiness, who previously headed the Order of St. Augustine, spent years as a missionary in several countries.
The above narrative about Florida’s “Fountain of Youth” was part of the article, Florida Can Be the World’s Top Producer of Natural Medicine and Herbs, published on July 6, 2022. The links to the other 16 articles in the “Florida State of the Future” can be accessed at the Search Box of this website. Among the other proposals discussed in the series are turning starfish into organic fertilizers, as is being done by Japanese biochemists, one of whom became a friend of this writer.
Discussed also in the series is the fact that no Florida state or federal elected officials have advocated for the Sunshine State to aid, invest in, or even offer to lead the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) in its quest for “Economic Promised Islands.” Spanish explorers and missionaries first landed on several Caribbean islands before establishing their main settlement in what is now Florida. The City of St. Augustine could become the official mainland capital of CARICOM, which has garnered the support of Mexico. The author mentioned additional socioeconomic opportunities for Floridians in his 17-part series for the Sunshine State.
“The moral authority of the papacy is also to contribute to the socioeconomic development of believers, such as the Catholics of the Sunshine State. The first argument raised as to why Your Holiness must help rests on the fact that the “Fountain of Youth” is located in the City of St. Augustine, Florida, which was founded in 1565.”
Of course, the proposed socioeconomic ventures should ideally be organized as non-sectarian cooperatives, and all Floridians and Americans — irrespective of their ethnicity, creed, political and sexual orientation, and beliefs — must be invited to become co-op members and shareholders. Socioeconomic ventures can be similar to those proposed for developing countries, with the Philippines serving as the pilot nation. The ventures range from the education and board certification of nursing students to addressing the projected 13-million shortage of nurses by 2030, to building typhoon-proof housing for people experiencing homelessness, and other projects described in this series. All the articles will be published in a book, along with their references, which will include previous articles published in the Philippine Daily Mirror and on Facebook.
Perhaps these suggested socioeconomic initiatives for Florida can also be done in the other 19 poor states of the American union. And Part XIII of this series will discuss a proposal to clean and pump the waters of the Mississippi (Old Man) River to help in reforestation, replenish drying aquifers, and make American deserts green in North America.
Why involve Your Holiness in this project to develop the Old Man River and end the poverty of poor states of the country? The Illinois River of your home state is a significant tributary to it. It historically served as a crucial waterway connecting the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River for both Native-American Indians and early French traders. The confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers in the Chicago area forms the river. Several other rivers also feed into the Illinois River, including the Sangamon River, Spoon River, and Macoupin Creek. The final two letters will also explain how “Prevostlution of Hope” can even help the economy of the 32 states that have tributary rivers providing water to the Mississippi River.
Thank you, Holy Father and your Vatican think tanks, for the attention and assistance.
Very sincerely yours in Jesus Christ,
Roberto (Bobby) M. Reyes
Journalist and Book Author
