The New Pope is Like … Holy Cow … a Christian
Okay, you know that at least weekly I get into a fight with a Catholic priest. There is a local priest here who runs the opposite direction when he sees me coming.
Up until this moment, the only man in a dress who I trusted was Ru Paul.
I’m beginning … just beginning … to rethink that. Pope Francis is kinda cool.
He finally responded to Rush Limbaugh calling him a Marxist and here’s what he said.
“The Marxist ideology is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don’t feel offended.”
Ohmygod, the dude is acting like a Christian.
I ain’t buying the infallible crap and I sure ain’t buying the place of women in the church. I’m not certain about this whole hell thing. Well, at least I wasn’t until I met Pope Benedict and his cover-up posse.
Anyway, when the Pope pooped on Ronald Reagan’s trickle down economic, he did it beautifully.
The promise was that when the glass was full, it would overflow, benefitting the poor. But what happens instead, is that when the glass is full, it magically gets bigger nothing ever comes out for the poor. This was the only reference to a specific theory. I was not, I repeat, speaking from a technical point of view but according to the Church’s social doctrine. This does not mean being a Marxist.”
Rush, Honey, Jesus was actually the first Marxist. Get over it.
Thanks to Bryan for the heads up.
The Pope eviscerated Limbaugh and those other misfits – that’s good enough for me.
1I’ll believe he is something different and slightly more Christ-like when he takes responsibility for all of the children his church has abused and molested for centuries. All of the women made to suffer for a pregnancy. All of the people killed and all of the terror caused in the name of the infallible papacy.
2Is anybody else unhappy with the fact that the Pope is taking notice of anything Limbaugh says? Maybe it’s just me—and I’m not even Catholic……
3Mark, I understand where you are coming from. But, I don’t believe he has to personally take responsibility. After all, the church and religion has been used for centuries as a cudgel to keep the poor and ignorant in line by the titled and monied few. I am just as leery and cynical about some of his positions that seem to be more progressive and, although I am nowhere near Missouri, he/they/the church needs to show me.
4This Pope sure has Italian ancestry. I used to believe my mom had eyes in the back of her head, hearing like a whale and a memory like an elephant. Nothing gets past Italian women. They’re quiet about your crap for awhile, then they pounce like a Lion. At that point, if the guilt doesn’t get you, The Look will.
This guy gets it. Do not mess with this Pope. He’s Italian and a Jesuit.
Poor Rush has no idea how deep he’s digging.
5I’m just glad he doesn’t wear red Prada loafers…
6There is something to be said for a man who chooses Francis from Francis of Assisi as his Papal name. He’s a Jesuit. Is that modern Jesuit or more historical Council of Trent style Jesuit?
He won’t be the first man to reduce Rush to irrelevance with a few words. But will he be the first to seriously address the sinning Cardinals and the sins they suborned?
He definitely earns high points for tackling Saint Reagan and his disastrous Trickle Down economics. But will he lead by example, as in divesting the Vatican of its riches?
A mere ten months into his Papal role is probably too soon to begin answering the questions presented. So far, he sounds good and let’s hope he succeeds doing the things that need doing.
7Mark, looking for miricales? Well, it is the season for them, you might get lucky. Were he to do all those things I fear he would not be long for this world. Come to think of it, I already worry about that!
Real change takes real time, he has already done a lot and it does give me hope even if realisticly I don’t anticipate the changes you listed. Still, while (Dos Equis not withstanding), he may be “the most interesting man in the world” he is most definitely the most interesting Pope in a good long while.
Like JJ her own self, I’m a chick so, there are a ton of policies that I have issues with when it comes to the Catholic Church. As Ghandhi said, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” I’ve kinda felt that way about organized religious hypocrisy for a long time. But, I do think at the minimum, Frances is a breath of fresh air and I think Ghandi would have liked him, infallibility issues not with standing.
8The old Popes seemed to spend a lot of their time on abortion and homosexuality, core principles of the Republican Party.
The new Pope, has already said the church should not put too much emphasis on those things, and instead has shifted his focus to helping the poor. If the Democratic Party could find a way to get that message to white lower and middle class Republican voters, those Republicans might realize that they actually share their core economic and moral values with the Democrats.
9The biggest challenge to Francis’s papacy is that – at age 76 – he has a limited amount of time left on this earth to uproot the hidebound privileged bureaucracy that has so alienated the church from the people it is pledged to serve. In the long run, the priestly culture won’t change permanently unless enough clerics who follow Francis’s beliefs can prevent the old guard from regaining control and restoring their autocratic and oppressive ways.
10You don’t have to swallow something whole hog. It is possible to recognize what makes Paco different from the rest of the field and congratulate him for it. I think even he would agree with that.
The institutionalized fear of women among churchmen has got to go. An encyclical on that subject might help.
11Not sure why the Pope bothered answering Rush Limbaugh, and I’m not sure he was. Outside the U.S. (and parts of Canada… and some discrete houses in the Dominican Republic) nobody’s really heard of Limbaugh or takes him seriously. Rush Limbaugh has a shrinking base of people in one country and the Pope’s got a growing constituency of over a billion.
12Pope Francis has been standing up to the religious bullies, those self-appointed arbiters of what Christianity means. Up to now, the American Catholic Church was aligned with conservative Republicans because of one issue: abortion. Now there’s a new sheriff in town and he’s redefined what being a Christian means and it’s not sitting pretty with those hypocrites. They can call him all the names they want, but he’s in charge and he’s right!
13I may not be Catholic but I kinda like this old boy, Francis. He has been cleaning house and he’s not at all into the high falluting lifestyles of the past Popes and I have to believe we’re going to see some good things happening from this guy.
14Finally, a Christian leader that believes in redemption, even of non-Christians
15In Garry Wills’ book–“Papal Sin”–after listing centuries of papal malfeasance, he writes that “A miracle occurred,” meaning the election of Pope John XX111. Unfortunately, the forces of evil spent the next 50 years trying to undo what he unleashed on the church and largely succeeded. I expect the same thing to happen with this Pope, unless he completely purges the Vatican of all the self-servers. Not likely to happen.
16He’s the first Catholic official I’ve felt warmly about since Father Mulcahey.
17At least you know he’s READ the Bible — the important parts when Jesus was talking.
Good for drawing attention to poverty and the imbalance of riches, but he’s not giving an inch on abortion, birth control, or women in the church. As far as this atheist is concerned, he’s an improvement but still dangerously hidebound.
(I always got the impression with Reagan that if you showed him a poor person, he’d get out his wallet and give them something, but if you told him that his polices would worsen the lives of a million poor people, it would just go in one ear and out the other.)
18Good onya
19But I still can’t go that far.
Just an off thought, Rhea, but Pope Rat was the first to ‘retire’ or be retired since 1294. Things could be happening at the Vatican, or not with Pope Francis.
Can appreciate your skepticism. Lindsey Beauregard Graham has a nice smile too, as does Pope Francis. If it was a choice between the two, I’d call for Pope Francis in a nanosecond.
Vatican Redux is as similarly suspect as Republican Rebrand. Same gohmert in a new language.
Pope Francis is alleged to sneak out at night to administer to the poor. Maybe when he does the same in the light of day, we skeptics might trust the deeds more than the words.
BTW Which Reagan? Ronnie the near taxidermy occupant of the White House or Nancy, just say no, pawn of the puppet masters?
20I’m not a Catholic, but I have to say that I’m pretty impressed so far — and believe me, I haven’t been impressed for a very L-L-O-O-O-N-N-N-G time.
21Once heard a highly respected Methodist minister state during a sermon that communism was the most Christian form of governance. The reaction from the congregation, though inaudible, was noticeable. He then then stated that true communism had never been attempted and never would, since humans, innately flawed, would be in charge. Gave great room for thought.
22@PKM Re: Pope Francis is alleged to sneak out at night to administer to the poor. Maybe when he does the same in the light of day, we skeptics might trust the deeds more than the words.
As a Catholic child, I was taught never to brag about charitable actions because those acts should only be known to you and God. People aren’t supposed to recognize Christianity by words, but by deeds.
The Pope surely shows his actions during public audiences like when he embraced the man with neurofibromatosis. However, at night, when he chooses to go out to serve those in need, he’s doing that for his own personal mission-quietly and without attention, just as we were taught.
The Pope is a man trying to live his private faith while in a public position leaving him open to credit and criticism.
Tough job. I wouldn’t want it.
23Lorraine in Spring, we share respect for Pope Francis, while we might wonder just how he can put the Christ back into Christian. Hot dang, he just did that!
http://crooksandliars.com/2013/12/pope-shakes-vatican-panel-drops-activist
Pope Shakes Up Vatican Panel, Drops Activist Bishop Burke.
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