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Krauthammer: ‘The Pope Is a Democrat – He Ought to Run For President’
Newsbusters ^ | 12/01/2013 | By Noel Sheppard

Posted on 12/01/2013 6:24:54 AM PST by SeekAndFind

In his first major publication, Pope Francis last week came down on capitalism and income inequality to the predictable applause of the mainstream media.

This led syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer to joke on PBS’s Inside Washington Friday, “The Pope is a Democrat. He ought to run for the presidency” (video follows with transcript and commentary):

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO

GORDON PETERSON, HOST: The new Pope is shaking things up. This week in his first major publication, Pope Francis is talking about income inequality. The Pope asks, “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it’s news when the stock market loses two points?” How would you answer that, Charles, if the Pope was sitting right here?

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: I’d say the Pope is a Democrat. [Laughter] He ought to run, he ought to run for the presidency. I mean, look, this is a traditional position of the church. There are arguments inside of the Church, there are Catholic intellectuals who write in defense of capitalism. But he’s from that tradition of the social gospel. And it is the original message to clothe the naked and to feed the hungry.

And he’s not just a man who preaches it. He is a man who lived it in his own life, in the humility of his own life. And I think there’s incredible authenticity behind it. So, I think it’s going to have a lot of influence, and I think it will unfortunately set back the movement in the Church at least recognizing how capitalism and the free market allows for the flourishing of individuals in a way that socialism and of course communism never did. So, I do not know how that’s going to affect that argument, but I credit him with sincerity and an incredibly good heart.

It's also fascinating to watch media members that hate religion and have been mocking the Catholic Church for years suddenly love the Pope because he's made some comments that fit with their political ideology.

The hypocrisy would be laughable if it weren't so predictable.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: democrat; popefrancis; president
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1 posted on 12/01/2013 6:24:55 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Not so fast-

http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/12/what_the_pope_really_said.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook


2 posted on 12/01/2013 6:29:43 AM PST by gasport (Will operate for food.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Shame to say it...There's a reason for this pope....to show us that communism doesn't work. No matter what, he's living pretty darn good in Vatican City amongst all the gold and art of the City. Sell it....you could feed the world.

He's from his own little world and stuck in it. Communism does not work.

3 posted on 12/01/2013 6:30:29 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: SeekAndFind
Obviously, the Kraut doesn't know that the Pope's statement was "mis-translated".

/s

Leni

4 posted on 12/01/2013 6:32:13 AM PST by MinuteGal
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To: SeekAndFind

Of course it’s out of sight and out of mind when he says things like “progressivism is fruits of the devil”. I’m not exactly sure where this Pope stands on politics, but even I can admit that capitalism isn’t perfect. That is important, because recognizing the flaws in a system allows that system to be maintained and corrected. Liberals, however, refuse to admit any of the flaws in socialism, and so those flaws just get larger with time.


5 posted on 12/01/2013 6:34:09 AM PST by Telepathic Intruder (The only thing the Left has learned from the failures of socialism is not to call it that)
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To: SeekAndFind

ME: ‘The Pope Is a Communist – He Ought to Run For President of Cuba’


6 posted on 12/01/2013 6:39:32 AM PST by bunkerhill7 ("The Second Amendment has no limits on firepower"-NY State Senator Kathleen A. Marchione.")
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To: Sacajaweau

Wow. Where to begin. I guess with, he rode the bus when he was a Cardinal. He doesn’t live in the Papal apartments. The wealth of the Vatican is not his to sell off. Assuming though that he could, having sold off all the capital and spent it on the poor, what does he use to pay the electric bill? I guess he could just shut the now empty buildings down or start charging admission so that only the wealthy had access to these treasures. Pretty sure that would not be what Christ wants. I’m okay with the US president having security and a nice place to live even if I hate his politics but not okay with the flagrant display of wealth and the hundreds of SUVs he hauls around with him. So not sure what you might want the Pope to do.


7 posted on 12/01/2013 6:44:06 AM PST by Mercat
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To: SeekAndFind
Sounds more like Liberation theology to me,IMHO. It is the dominant Catholic teaching in Latin America for over 30 years and, again IMHO, the largest single contributing, non political factor for the demise of many democratic republics in the region. The church preaches against capitalism while profiting handsomely from it's own capitalistic enterprises and the heavy Socialist influence in the region constantly pitting producers vs. non producers (which creates shared misery for all instead of a rising tide lifting all boats) and soon people begin to feel entitled to that which is not theirs by their own efforts, but the effort, work, if you will, of others. It is the identical insidious Freedom destroying claptrap we face in this nation.
For more info, see Father Flager(?) and Rev. Wright: fully in the lap of Socialism and dangerously close to the bosom of Communism.
8 posted on 12/01/2013 6:45:12 AM PST by cashless (Obama told us he would side with Muslims if the political winds shifted in an ugly direction. Ready?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Krauthammer is wrong on this one.


9 posted on 12/01/2013 6:46:53 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: SeekAndFind

At a family meal, a distant relative, upon realizing I’m a Catholic, started in on how finally the Catholic Church has a Pope who wants to take care of the Pope and don’t I love “this” Pope. The implication was that I didn’t like previous popes so after making sure she knew I had loved every pope in my lifetime, I talked about how though out Church history, the ministry to the poor has been central. Lots of man made deviations to be sure but from the Apostles to St. Francis to the present, the Church as fed the poor, founded hospitals and universities, educated people, etc. Not just a bunch of fat old men in dresses.


10 posted on 12/01/2013 6:47:11 AM PST by Mercat
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To: cashless

precisely


11 posted on 12/01/2013 6:47:26 AM PST by Nifster
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To: gasport

Yep, The American Thinker (your link provided) summarizes it this way:

EXCERPT

The exhortation needs to be taken as a whole, not cherry-picked apart depending on one’s political viewpoint. In his exhortation, Pope Francis chides both liberals and conservatives, society in general, self-centeredness, secularism, totalitarianism, the Catholic Church, the division that exists among Christian Churches, the “silent complicity” that enables human trafficking, and even priests who deliver boring homilies.

Overall, Evangelii Gaudium might be best summed up as a call to the faithful to renew themselves in Christ. And, in general, Pope Francis is saying to the entire world, ‘C’mon people, we can do better; we need to do better!’ It’s almost as if he is saying, ‘with all the intelligence and brainpower in the world today, it’s hard for me to understand why things are getting worse instead of better.’

What Pope Francis might be saying to all of us is that there is an awful lot that needs fixing in this world, and all it starts with each of us fixing ourselves first.


12 posted on 12/01/2013 6:48:05 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: bunkerhill7

You are totally wrong here. Why would you say such a thing about anyone?


13 posted on 12/01/2013 6:48:38 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: gasport

It’s most bothersome when someone has to clarify or defend what someone else said, if the pope was misinterpreted or cherry picked to the point of causing such doubt, then he should come out and clarify it himself.

It is a simple thing to say what you mean and mean what you say, without using long drawn out homilies which in and of itself causes misunderstanding and confusion.

The pope has hard core defenders no matter what he says, much like obama has, as if he cannot do or say anything wrong.


14 posted on 12/01/2013 6:49:19 AM PST by PoloSec ( Believe the Gospel: how that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again)
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To: SeekAndFind

Socialism works only on written paper. In the imperfect world of flawed humanity its a failure. The Vatican should help the poor get out of their poverty and not worship poverty as some sort of sacrament. Help others learn to fish and not berate the productive, wealthy fishermen.
Isn’t obtaining wealth and sharing it noble and christian-like also? Class warfare garbage has no place in the pulpit. Yes the church has a duty to help the poor but also to lift them out of it too.


15 posted on 12/01/2013 6:49:43 AM PST by tflabo (Truth or Tyranny)
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To: All

Sarah Palin is an idiot! She must be because the media told me she said she could see RUSSIA from her house.

/s


16 posted on 12/01/2013 6:49:58 AM PST by icwhatudo (Low taxes and less spending in Sodom and Gomorrah is not my idea of a conservative victory)
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To: SeekAndFind

This Pope lives in his own world.

He see’s rich and poor, He does not see how each got that way

Of course there are many who were born rich, but there are many worked for those riches. Most of those who worked for those riches are the people who are paying to keep his Church’s open.


17 posted on 12/01/2013 6:54:37 AM PST by Venturer (Keep Obama and you aint seen nothing yet.)
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To: SeekAndFind

This should be fun, the priests that lurk and post here will come out of the woodwork, I go so far as to say he is a radical leftist.


18 posted on 12/01/2013 6:57:23 AM PST by stockpirate (It appears good men have decided to do nothing, so evil is prevailing......)
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To: stockpirate

RE: I go so far as to say he is a radical leftist.

I would call the Pope a leftist ONLY IF he endorsed a Peronist or a Socialist or a Marxist government.

But there was not even a recommendation of ANY FORM of government in his writing.

Is Jesus Christ a Marxist when he said :

“What shall it profit a man if he gains the world but loses his soul”?

OR

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

OR

“Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”


19 posted on 12/01/2013 7:00:10 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: Sacajaweau
Maybe the USA should sell off all the art work and historical artifacts at the Smithsonian and other government run museums then. Imagine what we could get for all that stuff?
20 posted on 12/01/2013 7:06:33 AM PST by Yorlik803 ( Church/Caboose in 2016)
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