Vatican bewildered by Bolivia's 'communist crucifix' gift to Pope Francis [ Hammer & Sickle ]

The Guardian ^ | July 9, 2015 | Jonathan Watts

[Fitzy_888]

Vatican officials appear to have been flummoxed after Pope Francis was presented with a communist crucifix depicting Jesus nailed to a hammer and sickle by Bolivia’s president Evo Morales.

The gift from the leftwing leader caused an immediate stir among conservative Catholics who said the pontiff was being manipulated for ideological reasons.

The response of the pope was less clear.

(...)

[Fitzy_888]

You'd think this Pope would like it.

[NeoCaveman]

The pope did not look happy about it.

[babble-on]

the Pope said “this is not right”

Apparently Morales (who is basically an animist rather than a Catholic) felt that it would be well-received because it was a relic of some “liberation theology” bishop who was murdered in Ecuador during the cold war.

[babble-on]

the Pope said “this is not right”

Apparently Morales (who is basically an animist rather than a Catholic) felt that it would be well-received because it was a relic of some “liberation theology” bishop who was murdered in Ecuador during the cold war.

[Major Matt Mason]

The Bolivians know a fellow traveler when they see one.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Frances thinks if he feigns “bewilderment” we’ll forget that he’s a Marxist.

[Politicalkiddo]

Who likes having his actions and beliefs represented by a religious object and have it presented to him while he’s in public? After all, Commies don’t like Christianity.

[vladimir998]

The pope should take it. Then take a photo of it with a brief explanation of how it is blasphemous. Then melt it down and make medals depicting the martyrs to communism on them. He should then bless those medals and send them back to Bolivia - to the opposition party.

[W.]

Maybe it’s full of Bolivian Marching Powder.

[Army Air Corps]

Look closely at some of the photos of the presentation of the crucifix to the Pope. Look at a medallion that the Pope is wearing; the medallion appears to bear an image identical to the carving.

[The Toll]

Shoe fits.

[Jeff Chandler]

There’s a whole lotta bewildering going on there.

[SkyPilot]

The pope did not look happy about it.

Several photos show him smiling and very happy about it. He is also wearing a DUPLICATE of this blasphemous Communist Atheist crucifix around his neck in a medallion!

Save the photo and zoom in on Power Point or other means if you don't believe me.

And, from the article:

"His comments were largely drowned out by a flurry of camera clicks, prompting a flood of speculation. While some have claimed he expressed irritation, muttering the words “eso no está bien” (“this is not right”), Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the pope was more likely to have uttered “no sabía eso” (“I didn’t know that”) in bemusement at the origins of the present. From another article:

"However, Morales went on to explain that the gift is a replica of a carving that Spanish Jesuit priest, poet, and filmmaker Luis Espinal Camps made in the 1970s. Espinal was tortured and murdered in 1980 by the Bolivian dictatorship of the time; before the gift presentation the pope, a Jesuit himself, had prayed at the site where Espinal's body was found. A Vatican spokesman said that the pope was told that Espinal originally made the hammer-and-sickle crucifix in the spirit of dialogue between ideologies, not as an endorsement of Communism. He also said the pope didn't have a "particularly negative reaction" to the gift.

The Vatican spokesman who have been spinning this are LIARS! "The Pope had no reaction and this was a complete surprise." Not only is The FrankenPope False Prophet wearing the same blasphemy around his own neck, he stopped and prayed at the spot to honor the Marxist who was killed and had the original Marxist crucifix made.

[pepsi_junkie]

the Pope said “this is not right”

"Not on camera, Estupido!"

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Sickening.

[riri]

Does he really think he's keeping his communism "under wraps"? Like we don't know already.

I am expecting Mao images to be hanging in Vatican City any day.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Why wouldn’t he like it? It’s just a visual expression of his own encyclical.

[marron]

Actally, I like it. How many Christians have been slaughtered by communists?

[CdMGuy]

This Pope is the product of a country which has had a dysfunctional left wing government for around 100 years. He is a product of that dysfunction. He is a socialist and a Jesuit. That means that politically he is a left winger, and religiously he is an anti-traditionalist. Summing it up, he is a disaster for the Catholic Church.

[livius]

He didn’t say that. What he said in Spanish, which I’ve heard, is “I didn’t know that.” This was in response to Morales telling him about the fact that this was made by the Pope’s hero, the Marxist Jesuit Espinal, whose grave he visited

Then he beamed and took the gift, and even instructed Fr Lombardi yesterday to correct the record and make it clear that he was not displeased by the gift.

Houston, we have a problem.,,,