Oh, this should be good.
Posted on 09/05/2013 12:53:52 PM PDT by beaversmom
THE Vatican has begun a historic move to rehabilitate the leftist Catholic movement known as “liberation theology” as the Pope refocuses the church on the poor.
L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s official newspaper, devoted its centre spread to defending the virtues of liberation theology, which had been anathema since the Cold War.
“With a Latin American Pope, liberation theology could not remain for long in the shadows to which it has been relegated for some years, at least in Europe,” wrote Ugo Sartorio, a priest and editor of a Catholic magazine.
Father Sartorio even argued in his piece yesterday that, while serving as archbishop of Buenos Aires, the Pope had been an exponent of the Argentine version of liberation theology.
For decades, liberation theologians in Latin America, deeply critical of the church hierarchy’s ties to military dictatorships, were denounced as Marxist by the vehemently anti-communist Polish pope, John Paul II.
He was succeeded by his conservative doctrinal enforcer, the German cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was nicknamed “God’s rottweiler”.
Under its first Latin American pope, however, the Vatican is recognising the strengths of the movement that gave priority to the poor. Francis has eschewed the pomp of the papacy — refusing to wear red papal slippers and insisting on living in the Vatican guesthouse rather than the luxurious papal apartment overlooking St Peter’s Square.
The first pope to take the name of St Francis of Assisi has proclaimed that he wants “a poor church for the poor”. This outreach comes as the Catholic Church is confronting sex and money scandals and suffering a loss of many faithful to evangelical churches.
Francis is understood to be writing a new encyclical on poverty, to be titled Beati Pauperes, or Blessed are the Poor.
A new biography, by Paul Vallely, reports that the Pope has secretly been taking advice from the left-wing Brazilian theorist Leonardo Boff, a leading proponent of liberation theology.
Francis has also unblocked moves to canonise Oscar Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador who was shot dead at the altar after condemning violence by the military in El Salvador. He is considered a hero by liberation theologians.
Francis has just appointed the Papal Nuncio in Venezuela, Pietro Parolin, as his new Secretary of State, the Vatican’s equivalent of prime minister.
In an interview with the pro-government Venezuelan newspaper Ultimas Noticias, before he was named, Archbishop Parolin gave a careful endorsement of liberation theology. “On liberation theology, and I say this with all my heart . . . things are much clearer now,” he said.
“The church has a preferential option for the poor . . . But it’s also always clarified that it’s not an exclusive option, or one that excludes anyone. The church must not assume Marxist categories, or class struggle.”
The occasion of this week’s double-page spread in the official Vatican newspaper was the publication of an Italian translation of a 2004 book co-written by the father of liberation theology and a German theologian who is now the Vatican’s doctrinal chief.
Gerhard Ludwig Muller was appointed by Benedict XVI last year to his former post as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s chief ideologist. The German bishop and professor was not only close to the German pope, but also a lifelong friend of the Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutierrez, who coined the term “liberation theology”.
The two will present their book, On the Side of the Poor, at a festival in Mantua, Italy.
“This new Pope is supporting a fresh look at the situation of the poor all over the world,” said Marco Politi, an author of books on the Vatican. “What is coming is this ‘people’s theology’, which seems very much about the poor and the rift between the poor and the rich.”
Oh, this should be good.
Oh, no it's not. It's like thinking watching a train wreck is great entertainment, except that not only does does the train take out your car and house, it also takes out the water and power for your area, and lets loose car loads of illegal aliens and other ne'er-do-wells free to loot and pillage, not to mention giving the powers that be yet another excuse to not only increase taxes, but impose new ones as well, effectively enslaving a formerly free country on the basis of a failed and false morality.
Altruism and a formal economic policy of using force and aggression to take from the rich and give to the poor the unearned, the undeserved, and something for nothing will end up making things worse for the poor in the long run.
Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan are the models of what nations need to do to cure poverty. They must start with a pro-business environment combined with austerity. Everyone must save rather than consume and use the savings to begin the process of capital accumulation.In addition to capital accumulation, there must be respect for private property, a rational culture, and technological progress.These requirements are the exact opposite of the marxism and socialism of liberation theology.
So, how much of this is true and how much is just journalistic bomb throwing?
Hate to say it, but Japan ain’t much of a model any more. Their deficit problems are worse than ours!
To quote John Bigboote
"It's not my planet. Understand, monkeyboy?"
If he`s really serious, Pope Francis should do an Anthony Quinn-
“Shoes of the Fisherman”
“ the Pope cedes all the church holdings to the poor and resumes the church’s mission in poverty...” NY times, 2010
Virtue Talks, BS Walks
Let the Catholic church divest itself of its holdings in Rome and give it all to the poor. Talk is cheap.
Perhaps, but when it's sined, seeled, and delivered, don't blame me when they come for your guns and money because some people insist on shooting themselves in their own feet.
“The church has a preferential option for the poor . . . But it’s also always clarified that it’s not an exclusive option, or one that excludes anyone. The church must not assume Marxist categories, or class struggle.”
Yet Liberation Theology, at its heart, is all about class struggle and Marxism. It is not legitimate theology even, it is simply Marxism disguised by a thin veneer that imitates theology. So, you can’t advocate for that and still denounce Marxism. You can’t serve two masters.
Sounds like a certain former apostle’s suggestion.
/479_Muller-3-01.jpg)
Above you see a photo from the launching of the book Taking the Side of the Poor - Liberation Theology (An der Seit der Armen - Theologie der Berfewuing) co-authored by Dominican Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez and Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller. The event took place in Regensburg in 2004 and was promoted by Augsburg Sankt Ulrich Verlag.
http://www.traditioninaction.org/RevolutionPhotos/A479-Muller-3.htm
"Müller was also a pupil of Gustavo Gutiérrez, the “father” of Latin-American liberation theology, with whom he has a long and close friendship.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3047023/posts?page=6#6
Peace Made Between Müller and Gutiérrez. But Bergoglio Isn't Falling For It
Sandro Magister - ROME, September 5, 2013
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350589?eng=y
On the Charismatic Renewal Movement- Pope Francis
“At the end of the 70s, early 80s, I couldn’t see them. I once said they must confuse liturgical celebration with samba lessons! Then I got to know them better and I was won over. I saw the work that they did and I said mass for them in Buenos Aires every year. I think movements are necessary; they are a gift from the Holy Spirit. The Church is free; the Holy Spirit does what it wants.”
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/gmg-26831//pag/1/
You sound like Judas Iscariot whining about the cost of spikenard.
Is my take on this correct? The current Pope has a heart for the poor and wishes to see the Catholic Church help the poor. But he also understand the problems inherent in enforcing this vision through the hand of government. He may even believe that government is usually instrumental in oppressing the poor and that justice for the poor may involve economic liberty.
I have yet to hear him say that the solution to poverty is government spending.
Maybe it is wishful thinking but I hear a Pope who thinks it is our god given duty as Christian individuals and as a Christian church to help the poor. He does not seem to put his faith in the hands of government.
Based on this one must wonder if perhaps DU is the natural cyberhome for Roman Catholics? < /pondering>
Altruism is essential to Christian character and culture, but if followed consistently, would never lead to “compulsory altruism,” as Christian selfishness is necessarily voluntary. Rand’s objectivism is that blind squirrel that has found a few good acorns, but missed some essential truth as well. It is not the true opposite/antidote for Marxism. It is a variant of Nietszchean theory, and if implemented as ruthlessly as Marxism typically is, would merely lead to a different kind of distopia. There is no substitute for the Kingdom of Heaven.
There is no room for God , the Gospel , the Bible with "peoples theology" . This is just ANOTHER FALSE GOSPEL pushed by busybodies that want to make sure to get their cut
The Bible says if you don't work you don't eat:
(2 Thessalonians 3:10) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
(2 Thessalonians 3:11) For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
(2 Thessalonians 3:12) Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
THE GOSPEL - God's salvation plan for mankind
http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?42-God-s-Salvation-Plan-for-Mankind
In most countries the government collects a tax for the Catholic Church from all Catholics in that country.
He is just looking to do it worldwide
Case in point: Bishops to the Left of Senate Dems on Immigration
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