Posted on 12/18/2014 4:17:04 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Marco Rubio calls out pope on Cuba
By Lauren French and Seung Min Kim
| 12/17/14 2:14 PM EST | Updated 12/17/14 4:23 PM EST
Sen. Marco Rubio, a Catholic, criticized Pope Francis on Wednesday after the pontiff played a key role in helping the United States and Cuba forge an agreement that resulted in the release of American Alan Gross from Cuba.
Rubio said he would “ask His Holiness to take up the cause of freedom and democracy.”
The Florida Republican said he didn’t criticize Francis’ personal appeals to help facilitate Gross’ release, but was speaking in response to the White House’s announcement about talks to normalize relations with Cuba after a nearly 50-year embargo with the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Given that the Vatican normalized its own diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1996, under John Paul II who certainly can’t be accused of being a crypto-communist, I don’t see much grounds for being very critical of Pope Francis on this one.
You didn’t like John Paul II helping to bring down the Iron Curtain?
Popes should stay out of politics. That’s what totally corrupted them in the middle ages.
Huh?
The Vatican and was infiltrated by communist decades ago and has done crap like this in Latin America for as long as I can remember. The last time they fought for freedom was during the Cristero War in mexico.
Gross violation of “Separation of church and state”....The Pope negotiates for the USA?? How crazy is that?
The church hierarchy must stay out of politics. Just Monday tgis week I had to explain to kids why he cannot condemn Islam the way bush should have but didn’t, using the murdered nun as an example
The usccb butts in in immigration, and Rubio would be heard a lot more clearly on this if he would tell them to butt out on immigration but he’s a hypocrite her as well
The church states it cannot condemn abortion because of its being a political matter yet they go and do this
If any of them would simply consult the catechism they’d have guidance
All of these people are wrong
And the pope should not be butting in here
The Pope, as well as most credible religious leaders, will work to help the oppressed no matter where they are.
Our pastor displays very conservative opinions and faithfully carries the Word. he mentioned that we don't know (and never will) whether he associates with the Donkey or the Elephant of politics - it isn't his purpose to get political. The Church's purpose is to carry the Word and bear faithful witness to Jesus Christ - period.
Best news I’ve heard about this. More Catholics should do likewise. The Pope is not a political authority and should not be working with Obama to implement his leftist political views.
The Pope is now “working on closing Guantanamo,” btw. I read this last week in the Italian press - he had a long meeting with some Obama administration representatives to discuss the matter.
The Vatican having diplomatic relations with a place is a lot different from the US having diplomatic relations with a proven hostile power...which has done nothing to indicate that it has in any way moderated its hostility or support for other hostiles.
You don’t know what the pope knows nor why. What you do know is a Castro still has firm control and people suffer. Perhaps flooding them with our materialism and pornography will finally bring them down. Perhaps them seeing the differences between Americans and Cubans via internet will bring a revolution.
Either way, something different ought be tried to work not only FASTER, but ACTUALLY work.
First and foremost, like JP2.....the Catholic Church getting more freedom for religion may do what she did in Poland against communism.
The Church believes reason and faith work together like two lungs of the same being....unlike some posters who stop using reason and immediately dump faith.
If the Pope wants to care for Cuba, why doesn’t he do it himself and try to set up free speech churches there? Oh, so sorry, Cuba prefers mosques.
You can’t have it both ways—either the Pope does get involved with matters of prudence or he doesn’t. Insofar as he does, sometimes he will do things we agree with and sometimes he will do things that we don’t agree with. On the balance, I think Papal involvement in these sorts of things has been to the good.
One may disagree with the wisdom of the U.S. in normalizing relations with Cuba, but if the U.S. wants to and the Vatican already has, facilitating the desires of the U.S. seems a no-brainer. It is not up to the Vatican to tell the U.S.—”We could help you in the way you want to be helped, but we think that for you it is a bad idea.”
Good. Marco is right. This ass sucking of dictators WILL NOT help the Cuban people....it will only help the ruling class of Cuba and the crony capitalists in the USA.
The Cuban people will STILL not get free and fair elections.
Not to put too fine a line but dirty years of sanction didn’t bring the castros down. Perhaps a change in tactic is good to remove the government excuses for why Cuba is poor and the Castro regime will fall under the weight of ita own contradictions with no one to blame
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