Posted on 09/25/2013 6:33:28 AM PDT by shego
Pope Francis continues to delight and surprise as he pursues his radical pilgrimage across the global psyche--inspiring with his humility while also sending shock waves with his subversive spirit.
Yes, make no mistake, this humble man from Argentina who describes himself first as a sinner and prefers simplicity to the opulence afforded by his station is, like Jesus Christ himself, a radical.
He washes the feet of the poor while eschewing the ruby papal slippers for his own holy feet. He lives in humble quarters among colleagues rather than in the isolation of the Vatican suites where his predecessors have slept. He immerses himself in humanity while urging a greater pastoral role for the church and a de-emphasis on the harsh judgments of institutional authority.
In a world where greed and pride hold hands in the dark, Francis appears like a brilliant apparition of--say it, brother--hope and change....
In a recent interview for the Jesuit publication America, the Vicar of Christ implored the church to not overemphasize the issues that social conservatives hold so dear. He didn't go so far as to suggest that the church change its core beliefs on subjects such as abortion and traditional marriage, but he urged a reordering of priorities and a less harsh approach. The hungry need food before they can hear a lecture about nutrition.
More love, less judgment is the seed he is planting, a worthy bumper sticker these days. In a judgmental era that sometimes rivals darker ages, Francis's words tumble into the human conversation like an uninvited guest. This humble, radiant man doesn't sprinkle rose petals and platitudes to amuse and beguile. He drops "daisy cutters" of truth and social justice smack into the punch bowl.
And all the while, he smiles....
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I’ll have to look for it. I think the other one was actually somewhere in Latin America, but I don’t remember the details. I think it was the same thing - the process had gotten started earlier, but was hung up by lack of action on the part of the local bishop (obviously, a covert supporter of the dissident priest in question). The Vatican simply resolved it without the bishop’s participation.
I am not Catholic, nor do I play one on TV, but I have always been told by Catholic friends that God selects the Pope through the Cardinals and that the Pope speaks the Truth, so I would expect that a true Catholic would not question anything said by the Pope.
As I noted above, you're missing the meaning of this term as it is meant in context:
Pope Francis puts a high priority on "social justice" -- not in the Marxist eat-the-rich distortion of that concept, but in the traditional framework of restraining the tendency of the wealthy and powerful to game the system and cheat everybody else out of that portion of the economy's wealth they have legitimately earned.
My comment was aimed primarily at Kathleen Parker's comments, not elsewhere...
Spare me the mind reading exercise. You just swung wide and missed, noOB. [since 2013-08-07]
Just stick with the "this is what he really meant to say" sweeping up after, if so disposed --- without the "mind reading", and leave it at that.
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