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Francis is not the Left's Pope
The American Thinker ^ | June 13, 2015 | Gene M. Van Son

Posted on 06/13/2015 1:21:57 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Apart from the recent misquote regarding Mahmoud Abbas (Pope Francis encouraged Abbas to “become an angel of mercy;” he did not say that Abbas ‘is an angel of mercy’), the silence from the Left has been pretty deafening in regard to Pope Francis lately. Perhaps the Left has finally realized that Pope Francis is not the progressive they hoped he was, and that apart from encouraging dialogue he is not going to be changing Catholic Doctrine after all.

On March 7 Breitbart noted the shift in the Left’s attitude with an article by Thomas Williams titled, “New York Times Ends Two-Year Love Affair with Pope Francis.” Williams was commenting on an article in the NY Times by Elisabetta Povoledo criticizing the Vatican for not doing more to put women in positions of authority in the Church -- an expectation that the Left itself had actually created.

In fact everything Pope Francis has said regarding marriage, family, divorce, contraception, homosexuality, women’s ordination -- and economics -- has been perfectly in line with traditional Catholic teaching. And while he is all for helping the poor and is against greed and crony capitalism, he does not support liberation theology, and he is not a socialist or a communist. All that remains for the Left to hope for is that his coming encyclical on the environment, which is due out June 18, supports manmade global warming theory. But they may be disappointed here too as well.

One clue to what he may say is in a speech he delivered to the European Parliament in November of last year:

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Cuba; Culture/Society; Editorial; Philosophy; US: New York
KEYWORDS: catholic; cuba; elisabettapovoledo; environment; europeanparliament; europeanunion; francis; globalwarminghoax; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; pope; popefrancis; redistribution; romancatholicism

1 posted on 06/13/2015 1:21:58 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

>> And while he is all for helping the poor and is against greed and crony capitalism, he does not support liberation theology, and he is not a socialist or a communist.

Err... sure. He’s a libtard.


3 posted on 06/13/2015 1:48:59 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
"Only two conclusions can be drawn from statements like these: 1) Some AT readers are getting their information on the Catholic Church and Pope Francis from all the wrong sources; 2) Anti-Catholicism is still alive and well in the U.S. Apparently, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, there are even Conservatives who also know much that isn’t so. "

This Cathloic remains unconvinced by the writer's wonderful assertions about Pope Francis.

I read several worthy other sites published right here on FR, in addition to AT! What an arrogant writer.

I agree with statement number two.

4 posted on 06/13/2015 1:59:59 AM PDT by onyx (PLEASE SUPPORT FR. Donate Monthly or Join Club 300! God bless you all.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Last week in Bosnia, the pope said he gave up watching TV in the 90s because he thought it was often “ vulgar” and was having a negative effect on him.

His weekly audiences recently have been about the errors of gender theory and would make many persons of the homosexual orientation, many so-called transsexuals, and many liberals in general grind their teeth if they were paying attention. He has said that by nature marriage is only possible between a man and a woman.

On May 29, he again condemned abortion as a symptom of a sick “throwaway culture” and said that killing a human being never solves a problem.

In the Phillipines he reaffirmed the Church’s traditional teaching against birth control.

Too many think the forthcoming environmental encyclical will 100% embrace the radical left environmental agenda. I keep saying: “Let’s wait and see what it ACTUALLY SAYS.” People in places like China and India are made sick by the atrocious pollution there. God made His creation and saw that it was very good. Can’t a Christian, a pope, be a reasonable environmentalist wanting reasonably clean air and water without being accused of being a radical environmentalist leftist? My place of employment is near some smoke stacks. I sure wouldn’t want to live in the neighborhood.

And don’t be surprised if the encyclical ties lack of respect for the environment to a lack of respect for human life as John Paul and Benedict did. If life is of little value why should one value the inanimate earth upon which it dwells?

Granted, sometimes Pope Francis is not always as clear as he needs to be in speaking off the cuff. But I suppose much of the name-calling of him derives from his economic writings and statements. Can one make any criticisms of the excesses of capitalism (not all of capitalism but its shortcomings),what John Paul called “cutthroat capitalism”, without immediately being called a Communist or a Socialist? Can one continue the Christian tradition of concern for and care of the poor without being called a Communist or a Socialist? And here I write more of private charity than Big Government Socialism.

The horrid TPP treaty Obama is trying to get will flood our country with workers from many countries. This will create downward pressure on the wages and benefits of those in the middle. Is this supposed to be accepted because it is capitalism and the wonders of the free market? One of the great things about our country was the creation of a middle class. Is the pope to be condemned because he decries going back to a few rich and most poor mentality?

Sorry for the length of this post and so I’ll make me summary point:

The caricature of Pope Francis as a left-wing, Socialist, Communist, hippie Pope defending homosexual behavior becomes more absurd by the day.


5 posted on 06/13/2015 2:39:42 AM PDT by MDLION ("Trust in the Lord with all your heart" -Proverbs 3:5)
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To: onyx

I’m interested in how the Left has used the Pope and perhaps how the Pope has used the Left.

? ? ?

It will be interesting to read his position on the environment (since Obama and his global gang are gearing up for the big GREEN international control push Nov-Dec) and how it will be massaged and played by the msm.


6 posted on 06/13/2015 2:41:15 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
The key element to ALL misbehavior is influence

EVERY parent knows they don't want you going around that Jones boy because he's bad (apologies to the Jones')

Even scripture teaches Satan only walks to and fro upon the earth and is commanded not to touch us (paraphrased, instructed in all righteousness)

So, no, the pope doesn't DO anything, but from what I've read in the last year, he's done too much damage to himself to reclaim his reputation as when he was freshly elected.

Just another politician now ... like Huckabee, or Bush

7 posted on 06/13/2015 2:43:07 AM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true .... I have no proof ... but they're true)
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To: MDLION

Reporting has been a regular “whip-lash” of contradictions.


8 posted on 06/13/2015 2:43:27 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: knarf

Everything is politicized.

Reporting is influenced by politics; it’s become near impossible to know what is fact and what is fiction.


9 posted on 06/13/2015 2:47:26 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I’ve read accounts that it’s going to be a doozie.
I’m not pleased with this Pope.


10 posted on 06/13/2015 3:15:21 AM PDT by onyx (PLEASE SUPPORT FR. Donate Monthly or Join Club 300! God bless you all.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The Pope is not the Left’s Pope. He is a Left Pope. The Left doesn’t want any restrictions on anything, so they don’t recognize the Pope as an authority figure...but a Pope preaching climate change and befriending queers? He is a Left Pope.


11 posted on 06/13/2015 3:28:28 AM PDT by ThePatriotsFlag ( Anything FREELY-GIVEN by the government was TAKEN from someone else!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Pope Francis is not the captive of the Left because he is a committed leftist himself, but because he is hopelessly naive.

Specious arguments that would have been dismissed out of hand are accepted almost uncritically by this Pope, and it diminishes the power of his office immeasurably.


12 posted on 06/13/2015 4:13:38 AM PDT by alloysteel ("Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement..." Ronald Reagan)
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To: ThePatriotsFlag; Cincinatus' Wife
I want to take on that remark about "befriending queers".

It's one thing to befriend someone --- to treat them with with respect and with warmth, to be aware and sympthetic their personal gifts, needs, and interests ---an quite another thing to applaud their vices or approve their sins.

Pope Francis has done the former but not the latter. It's an important distinction,one too often ignored or actively twisted by both the Liberal EneMedia and the Tabloid Traditionalists. He has been particularly vocal in attacking "Gender Theory," which is the basis for both the Homosexualist Ideology ("Gay Marriage" in particular) and the Transsexual/ Transgender perversions. But I say to you, open your eyes and see:

Pope Francis supports Slovak effort to ban gay ‘marriage’, adoption

Pope Francis Defends Human Nature Against Gender Radicals

Pope's Shocking Hitler Youth Comparison (Pope blasts gender theory)

Pope Francis: Gender Theory Is a Threat to Society

Pope: Marriage between man and woman is threatened by gender ideology

Pope Francis: “Children have a ‘Right’ to a Mother and Father”

The Closed Door of Pope Francis (Speaks against abortion, divorce, and homosexuality)

Pope Francis: marriage inscribed in creation (Man/Woman)

Pope Francis and the family, the next step (pro-Traditional Family)

Pope: Men, Women “Different”

Pope Rejects ‘So-Called Gender Theory’

Pope Rejected Gay French Diplomat as Ambassador to Holy See

Pope Francis 'refuses' gay French ambassador

Pope Francis condemns gender theory a third time: ‘The family is under attack’

13 posted on 06/13/2015 6:32:25 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("The Catholic Church is for saints and sinners only. For respectable people, the Anglicans will do.")
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