Weigel: "Bergoglio is an Old-School Jesuit, Formed by Classic Ignatian Spirituality..."

Catholic World Report ^ | 3/14/13 | Carl E. Olson

[marshmallow]

From a very good NRO piece by George Weigel ("The First American Pope") about Pope Francis:

A pope in defense of human rights and democracy. Pope Francis has left behind an Argentina in which he was a stern critic of the Cristina Kirchner government’s deepening of that beautiful country’s democracy deficit, and of Madam President’s commitment to a public policy of bread-and-circuses wedded to legally enforced lifestyle libertinism — what Benedict XVI aptly called the “dictatorship of relativism.” At a moment when the momentum of the democratic project in Latin America is flagging (while new opportunities are opening up in places like post-Chavez Venezuela and the inevitable post-Castro-brothers Cuba), the new pope should be able to rally Catholic forces in defense of religious freedom and other civil liberties in a continent where they are now under assault. And if he can do that at home, he can do it throughout the world.

Pope Francis is also deeply committed to the Church’s service to and empowerment of the poor, as he made unmistakably clear in his ministry in Buenos Aires. But those Gospel-based commitments should not lead anyone to think that he will be Paul Krugman in a white cassock. That seems very unlikely. …

[loveliberty2]

"Pope Francis is also deeply committed to the Church’s service to and empowerment of the poor. . . ."

Such a "commitment to and empowerment of the poor" is consistent with the ideas underlying America's founding philosophy of "liberty throughout the land" (scriptural inscription on Liberty Bell) and Creator-endowed rights to life and the individual liberty to a "pursuit of happiness" (Declaration of Independence).

The counterfeit ideas coercively imposed by "progressives" and so-called "liberation theology" proponents do not lead to "empowerment of the poor," but to subjugation and lack of opportunity for those individuals most in need of individual liberty as "endowed by their Creator."

The battle of ideas is engaged. May Divine Providence enlighten minds and restore the ideas of liberty among today's generations!

[livius]

Yes, this is great. Pope Francis is thoroughly hated by the leftist Kirchner government, and the “Presidenta Kirchner” even attacks him by name. Of course, one of the big reasons that there is such desperate poverty in Argentina is because of the left, which brings prosperity to no one except members of the government (some local mayors have been found to receive as much as the equivalent of $100,000 per year while their people lived in shacks and had no potable water).

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

There is now the gag that he chose the name Francis instead of Ignatius, because otherwise he would be called “Iggy Pope”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iggy_pop

[dfwgator]

There is now the gag that he chose the name Francis instead of Ignatius, because otherwise he would be called “Iggy Pope”.

Well at least he'd have a "Lust for Life."

[chuckles]

I don't know enough yet for any opinion about the new pope. The only red flag I have so far is " Jesuit". This is the order that was kicked out of the church for awhile. This is the order that runs guns and money to South American communists. This is the order that, IMO, would leave the church to support revolution in many countries.

The big question would be to check is closet for a Che T shirt.

Other than that, I'm on board.

If you ask where Hugo Chavez went to church and was taught Jesus was a communist, look to a Jesuit priest.

[Salvation]

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HABEMUS PAPAM!!! (Live Thread)