U.S. Catholic bishops' new leaders concerned with poor

Yahoo / Reuters ^ | 11/12/13 | Mary Wisniewski

[Alex Murphy]

Their election comes as Catholic bishops worldwide are being given new direction by Pope Francis, who has emphasized greater humility and more concern for poverty. The bishops oversee 69 million U.S. Catholics, or about a quarter of the country's population.

"I believe we are very much in solidarity with Pope Francis, and that is, his way of articulating clearly that we need not only to serve the voiceless and the vulnerable, but to be an advocate," Kurtz told reporters after his election.

Christopher Hale, senior fellow with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a progressive group that focuses on social justice issues, said he believes both Kurtz and DiNardo "will move the American Church in the direction Pope Francis desires."

Hale cited Kurtz's "long pastoral experience" and praised DiNardo as a "tireless leader on immigration reform. He knows firsthand the problems of a broken immigration system."

Kurtz's election was expected as he is finishing a three-year term as vice president. Known as a reliable conservative who is also well-liked, pragmatic and effective, he replaces New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, an outspoken and colorful conservative elected in 2010.

"It means consistency and with Kurtz a little more concern for the poor and with DiNardo a little more concern about immigration," said Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and senior analyst with the National Catholic Reporter. Reese noted that Kurtz has a degree in social work and had cared for a brother with Down syndrome.

[SNIP]

In remarks to reporters, Kurtz discussed the bishops' support of the "sanctity" of traditional marriage, the protection of the unborn and the importance of helping the poor and immigrants. He also connected moving people out of poverty with the strength of the family.

DiNardo noted that U.S. bishops have been advocating for immigrants for decades.

[Alex Murphy]

Kurtz's election was expected as he is finishing a three-year term as vice president. Known as a reliable conservative who is also well-liked, pragmatic and effective, he replaces New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, an outspoken and colorful conservative elected in 2010. "It means consistency and with Kurtz a little more concern for the poor and with DiNardo a little more concern about immigration," said Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and senior analyst with the National Catholic Reporter. Reese noted that Kurtz has a degree in social work and had cared for a brother with Down syndrome.

Note the experts mentioned and quoted by Reuters for this story (besides the new USCCB prez and vice prez):
Christopher Hale, senior fellow with Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest and senior analyst with the National Catholic Reporter
Barbara Dorris of the group SNAP

[SpirituTuo]

Yeah, real experts there. Good grief.

[oh8eleven]

he replaces New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, an outspoken and colorful conservative

Cardinal Timothy Dolan Presses House On Immigration
"Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said in a letter to Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio,
on Thursday that he was troubled by reports that immigration reform is delayed in the House since
lawmakers have a responsibility to resolve the issue."

Oh yeah, just another Catholic "conservative."

[Buckeye McFrog]

...as opposed to all the rest of us who don’t give a rats arse about the poor??

[Berlin_Freeper]

A leader in the largest Protestant denomination in the United States has stated at a conservative event Tuesday that drew over 600 leaders to lobby for immigration reform that their effort is "really close" to coming to fruition.

[Alex Murphy]

A leader in the largest Protestant denomination in the United States has stated at a conservative event Tuesday that drew over 600 leaders to lobby for immigration reform that their effort is "really close" to coming to fruition.

IMO you ought to consider posting that as a thread.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Be my guest.

[wardaddy]

I read an article last week on Francis and his progressive leanings

The comments section was left wing catholics gleefully being very ugly over conservatives being under the bus

Saying crap totally non God fearing

Maybe the conspiracy folks were right about how Benedict abdicated

Shame

Francis is bad news...no matter how parsed

[Gumdrop]

Hey, I am also concerned for the poor. With the lousy economy that Obama’s administration has wrought, who would not be concerned for the poor?

Obama has deliberately destroyed the robust American economy and replaced it with an anemic socialist one. New college grads are having a hard time getting full-time jobs and are carrying huge college loan burdens. And otherwise good employees are being terminated or cut down to part-time status through no deficiency of their own making.

It’s too bad that we cannot easily return the favor to Obama and “unemploy” him.

[Salvation]

Luke 6:20-23

New International Version (NIV)

20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.

[Salvation]

From that link.....LOL!

Immigration Reform 'Really Close,' Says Southern Baptist Leader

[sitetest]

If folks are serious about helping the poor, they’ll cut taxes, encourage free enterprise, eliminate crony capitalism, and shoot every damned DemoKKKrat in the country.

[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

Blessed are the merciful

Tuesday, 12 November 2013 10:38

In thy sight are all they that afflict me;
my heart hath expected reproach and misery.
And I looked for one that would show me pity,
but there was none:
and for one that would comfort me,
and I found none. (Psalm 68:20).

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Can a poor man show mercy to a rich man?
Can a sick man show mercy to his physician?
Can a blind man show mercy to one who sees?
Can a thirsty man show mercy to the one who gives him to drink?
Can a hungry man show mercy to the one who feeds him?
Can a naked man show mercy to the one who clothes him?
Can a weak man show mercy to one who is strong?
Can a foolish man show mercy to one who is wise?

Christ Jesus in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
Christ Jesus, King of the universe and off all that it holds,
Christ Jesus, the Divine Physician of souls and bodies,
Christ Jesus, the light of the world and the giver of sight to the blind,
Christ Jesus, the source of living water,
Christ Jesus, the living Bread come down from heaven,
Christ Jesus, the glorious raiment of the saints,
Christ Jesus, in whom is all the power and the wisdom of God
has hidden himself beneath the fragile veil of the Host.

He appears among us and gives Himself to us
under the appearance of that little piece of bread,
something pathetically unimpressive and ordinary,
something so diaphanous and frail
that it can be carried away on a gust of wind,
or fall to the ground unnoticed.

The Sacred Host is God in a terrible nakedness, the nakedness of Calvary.
It is God made powerless and defenseless,
God made vulnerable,
God reduced to utter poverty,
God abandoned into the hands of men.
It is the Word vowed to perpetual silence,
the Countenance of Uncreated Beauty hidden from the gaze of men.
It is God humbled into the lowest lowliness of all.

The Sacred Host is God seeking the hospitality of men;
God meeting with rejection, indifference, and cold refusals;
God in the hands of the faithless, the unknowing;
God descending into hearts defiled by sin;
God refused reverence and denied the adoration that is His due;
God asking for a little mercy
and meeting instead with no pity.

Is it possible that God should ask for a little mercy on the part of man?
Where are the souls moved to pity by the hidden God?
Is there a greater poverty than that of the Host?
A more touching vulnerability?
A more delicate frailty?
Why has God chosen to hide Himself in this way
if not to give man the ineffable possibility
of showing mercy to God?

Here, even the poorest of the poor can give something to God.
Here, even the sick man can console the Physician.Here, even the blind man can offer a little light to the Sun.
Here, even the parched man can quench the thirst of the Wellspring.
Here, even the starving man can feed the Bread of Life with the food of love.
Here, even the naked man can cover the Creator of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.
Here, even the weakest child can protect the Mighty God.
Here even the fool can converse with Wisdom.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7).

[DumbestOx]

The article claims “Catholic bishops worldwide are being given new direction by Pope Francis...” but the Vatican website shows that Francis has not published any encyclicals yet. The article seems to be wishful thinking by some of the usual suspects. Pope Francis’ ill-advised, off-the-cuff remarks to journalists do not constitute proper directions to the Bishops. Nevertheless it does seem to be the case that the Pope and most of the hierarchy are obsessed with “the poor”, having chosen to ignore the words of Jesus “the poor you will always have with you.” They seem to be more concerned with being priests-as-social-workers, than with saving souls.

[SpirituTuo]

No kidding, haven’t we always been for the poor, except now, we are all poorer than before.

[sitetest]

There is no mercy in letting the wolves consume the sheep.

One shoots wolves that attack the flock.

The Party of Satan and its anti-Christ, the Kenyan, are destroying the lives of hundreds of millions of ordinary citizens. It is mercy to destroy the members of the Party of Satan - mercy to the ordinary people.

[Salvation]

To quote the late great Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, “Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops like bishops, and your religious act like religious.”

Amen, Archbishop Sheen.

[Dr. Thorne]

The first paragraph of this Reuters news story has been changed from its first posting 23 hours ago. First version:

BALTIMORE (Reuters) - U.S. Catholic bishops elected two centrist conservatives as new leaders on Tuesday, an archbishop from Kentucky and a Texas cardinal, both of whom expressed "solidarity" with Pope Francis' strong emphasis on the poor.

Second version:

BALTIMORE, Nov 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Catholic bishops on Tuesday elected an archbishop from Kentucky and a Texas cardinal known for his support of immigrants to head their leadership conference in a nod toward Pope Francis' emphasis on social justice.

The BOLD sections were either dropped or changed. Most significant was the dropping of the words "centrist conservatives" and the addition of the term "social justice", a buzzword for Socialism which has nothing to do with poverty and everything to do with control.

Did someone get to Reuters and influence them to change the wording of the first paragraph?

If Pope Frank does support "social justice", he is no more than another garden variety Leftist whose lust for power is camouflaged in "caring", much like Obama.

[Alex Murphy]

The first paragraph of this Reuters news story has been changed from its first posting 23 hours ago.

First version:
BALTIMORE (Reuters) - U.S. Catholic bishops elected two centrist conservatives as new leaders on Tuesday, an archbishop from Kentucky and a Texas cardinal, both of whom expressed "solidarity" with Pope Francis' strong emphasis on the poor.

Second version:
BALTIMORE, Nov 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Catholic bishops on Tuesday elected an archbishop from Kentucky and a Texas cardinal known for his support of immigrants to head their leadership conference in a nod toward Pope Francis' emphasis on social justice.

Thanks for posting this. When I posted the thread, the first version was what I recalled reading.