Posted on 12/23/2013 8:48:54 PM PST by plain talk
Pope Francis urged anti-austerity protesters who attended his weekly Angelus blessing to use dialogue and not violence to press their demands.
Addressing a group of protesters among the pilgrims gathered Sunday in St. Peter's Square, the pope appealed for `'a constructive contribution, rejecting the temptation for conflict and violence and following always the path of dialogue."
The pope read aloud one of their banners: `'The poor cannot wait." He urged everyone from charities to Italian authorities `'to do everything possible so that every family can have a house" this holiday season.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
I don’t remember anywhere in the brouhaha over Francis’ previous screed (long winded as it was) that someone quoted him asking governments to create tax funded welfare states.
Now that would be a money quote if it existed. Trouble is, I don’t think he ever said something like that. It was more like “do what the Lord would show you to do.” While lamenting the inability of capitalism, in and of itself, to duplicate the work of Christian charity.
Let’s be careful about whom we blame for what. You know, the golden rule. And I hope folks are not gratuitously hating on the RC church but it also sure looks a lot like it sometimes. I will criticize their theology from here to doomsday but I won’t say they don’t have Christ. It’s dangerous to assail those who Christ’s blood covers.
> I think you and Geron are busier hating on the RC church
> than wishing to straighten out Francis’ advice.
Oh, please.
I hate socialism, regardless of the source.
Yep, he knows to tell his loyal listeners that if his taxes were ever raised that the puppy gets it, that they would all suffer.
How about backing up your blame of him, or else retract it if you can’t back it up?
Ambiguous statements that could be taken either way, really don’t count.
My initial reaction to the media’s highlights of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation was that of astonishment and disappointment. But after my blood cooled, I realized that without context, it’s pointless to sentence the man. I have yet to draw conclusions about the Pope’s economic acumen. But I don’t have doubts about his motives which is more than I’m willing to offer his critics.
>> Let’s be careful about whom we blame for what.
I regret not having battle-worthy material useful in debating my fellow Christians. It’s simply not a priority. But I still have my regrets primarily because truth rises through debate.
I have a sense of history from the era of Babylonians to the present but from the perspective of numbers and abstract reasoning. Christianity’s impact post-Alexandria is an interesting one — something I plan to pursue. It’s not my goal, however, to justify the divisions — I’m more interested in that which unifies us in Christ.
holiday season?
In fact, the Catholic Church has lots of property world wide, especially very poor countries where they once were dominant, that could be turned into low-income housing for the poor and homeless!
Why preach something you aren't interested in living?
The Church doesn’t tax its parishioners.
The Pope was speaking to the citizens Italy’s govt displaced through economic ruin.
No, he didn't.
I don't read that as either the government or charities giving every one a house. I don't know what kinds of laws Italy has, but it could mean something as simple as adjusting any zoning rules that don't allow folks to rent out rooms in their homes, or a no longer used mother in law suite or apartment over a garage. That kind of thing would make a huge difference in the availability of affordable housing in areas where little exists at this point.
Here’s some plain talk too: The 1 to 2 billion dollars paid out for the immoral Catholic priests would feed and clothe quite a few homeless people.
I’m sure that if every Catholic in Italy would take in a poor and homeless Catholic brother or sister much of Italy’s homeless problem would be solved but that’s not going to happen.
I don’t think the Vatican is hurting for money. They need to put THEIR money where the pope’s mouth is.
Hey Pope! Why not convert the Vatican into the world’s largest homeless shelter?
I think that all Catholic churches around the world should do the Pope’s bidding by opening their church grounds and doors to the poor and homeless as an emergency shelter on cold winter nights or at any time that the buildings are not currently being used for regular services.
That would show the Pope’s compassion to the world and maybe other religious organizations would do the same.
Naw! /sarc
Pope Francis, why not use the church’s money to help?
The cardinals that elected this pope knew that he was wired with a bent towards the poorest and most vulnerable and that bent would continue after he became pope.
I’ve yet to see anything in this pope’s speech or writings that advocate government seizure and redistribution of wealth or state control of the basics of life.
But I have seen this pope challenging INDIVIDUALS and CHRISTIAN CHARITIES to give up their wealth in the aid of the poor and vulnerable, which is 100% in line with the teachings of Christ and his apostles.
The day after he was elected, in his first mass with the cardinals, he warned against the dangers of separating the gospel from the church’s social work, in effect becoming just another NGO.
As far as I can tell, the pope is still Catholic, and a good one at that. He’s very different in style and emphasis than the last pope, but not better or worse. Just different.
Huh? How many poor families need a home? How many spare homes are there in Italy? How does he hope to get them all moved into homes before Christmas? Or if they move in with someone else, is it okay to kick them out after Christmas?
"The poor can't wait." Sounds like the run up to a new leftist program called "obamahomes."
I fear this poor man suffers from some cognitive impairment.
I got nothing against Catholics but if you put this dogma in the public face it's up for debate.
Flame away but "you" Catholics should be embarrassed.
I believe I understand that the Pope is the moral voice to his Church, as well as it seems, governing authorities in Italy, and as such, saying that Italians aren't paying enough in their taxes to support whomever is without?
And doesn't the Catholic Church in Italy pay NO taxes yet own millions and have many properties, in Italy?
If this be the case, then the Church needs to lead by example and tax itself first and help provide homes to the homeless, then ask others to do likewise.
This doesn’t have to be taken as socialism...
To do everything from the perspective of the Italian Authorities could be to loosen building regulations or allow charitable organizations open school gymnasiums as shelters while they are on break.
To do everything from the perspective of the protesters could be everything from opening up their homes to picking up hammers and paint brushes.
I don’t see anything about ‘the government must spend more money to solve this problem.’ Since many of us know that will not solve the problem it is perfectly reasonable to not take this Papal directive as such.
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