Salvation, Just let me say that I respect what you stand for. I studied Catholicism in my youth and wish nothing but the best for The Church.
It distresses me to point out that by his socialist leanings with respect to income redistribution - which regardless how you dress it up is what it is - the Pope is actually encouraging covetousness by encouraging the divisiveness that can only come from socialism, and communism. Whereas free markets are successively to capitalism, unencumbered by this type of academic soft-soapiness. Moreover, they retain that degree of humanity and social utility as to be measured, IMHO, as far superior to whatever the Pope is pushing.
If I’m wrong in this I’m open to correction.
This violation would be bad enough in and of itself, but it would inevitably lead - and demonstrably has led - to circumstances which by their consequence violate the Ninth Commandment also, which is not to bear false witness.
This in turn cavalcades into what I believe is also The Pope’s violation of the Eighth Commandment which precludes outright theft.
Sorry to seem so harsh, but I see definite problems for Catholicism - and Christianity in general, as this Pope’s influence ripples seismically across the Christian landscape.
Combined with this general loosening of Catholic standards that I mentioned earlier, can you actually see it another way?
God, I wish it were so.
What do you think I’m missing?
what you are missing is that the pope’s remarks are often taken out of context. His remarks against capitalism wasn’t about the honest hard working businessmen in the USA, but about crony capitalism is, alas, true in places like Argentina (and here in the Philippines) where only those connected with the “big families” can succeed in business. That doesn’t make him a socialist.
And a lot of his other remarks are taken out of context also. The divorce discussion is a problem: but not if you realize a lot of “catholics” who divorce aren’t really practicing Catholics. Often they are lax and just want to have a fancy wedding in church to please their family, not to honor God with their vows.
So should a person stay with someone who doesn’t believe that marriage includes fidelity and lasts forever?