You are correct. I misspoke.
I still don’t like the fine line he walks with this kind of speech.
The UN is the biggest sinkhole of charitable donations in history. Appealing to them is a lost cause at best. They’d love nothing better than to enrich themselves and further their own Marxist agenda with more donations.
I’m sorry I over reacted, but legitimizing that cesspool irritates me.
This pope seems to tend to speak first and think later - or perhaps he simply does not yet understand how his words will get twisted. I’m not sure. I also think he - like the previous three or four popes - doesn’t know too much about how economics actually works. I also think he tends to assume too much goodness on the part of governments. I would agree with you on all of that without any hesitation.
I agree with both of you. I think Pope Francis is actually quite orthodox but he’s naïve, trusting, and there are serious problems not only with what his casual statements but with what he allows to be said about him or “quoted” by people who claim that he told them such and such in a private conversation. Since these things always agree with what the media wants, they are picked up and broadcast, and I hope he gets more savvy very soon!
Also, I think he needs a better press secretary. The current one did no favors for BXVI and is doing none for Francis, who kept him on. I don’t think he’s ill-intentioned, just an incompetent Italian.
JPII had a Spaniard, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who was smart (and an Opus Dei member) and managed to keep things in hand. I don’t think the current one is up to it, and he embarrassed BXVI on a number of occasions and is obviously doing the same with Francis.
That said, I think Francis is more leftwing and VII than I would like, but I don’t think he’s anywhere near what the press and the German bishops would like him to be.
Also, I think all popes should stick to religion and stop talking about economics, about which they know nothing. And few to none of their advisors know anything about it either, and 80 year old cardinals (apparently among his “advisors”) are surely totally clueless on the subject.