Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Uh, guys....? Pope Leo is sort of a Republican. [UPDATE TO EARLIER RELIGION FORUM POST]

Posted on 05/10/2025 9:28:50 PM PDT by dangus

I say "sort of" because as a Church official, he has not promoted one party or the other, and as a former citizen of Illinois with its non-partisan registration, he's not officially Republican or Democrat. And since he has deliberately avoided partisan identification, it would be misleading to simply say he is a Republican. But, accounting for that inherent inaccuracy, he's a Republican.

Maybe you've seen that he voted in a Republican primary; I did and initially I didn't think that much of it. But he voted as a Republican in at least the last three primaries that he voted in. And that voting pattern disproves any notion I had that maybe he just voted in the more competitive primaries, or voted strategically.

It was first reported that he voted in 2012 Republican primary. Well, big deal: there was really no competition in the Democratic presidential nomination. In 2016, Cruz still technically had a shot (and Kasich hadn't withdrawn either.) But the much hotter election was Clinton vs Sanders, where Clinton won only by getting the overwhelming majority of the superdelegates.

And 2014 was an off-year election, where strategic voting really isn't a thing.

This is sort of an update to an earlier article I posted, "Quick take: Hopeful signs that Pope Leo XIV is no Francis," where I noted several reasons for believing that even if he isn't necessarily a conservative, he's showing some very hopeful signs that he isn't so ignorant about conservative beliefs in the American sense as Pope Francis was.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/4316000/posts

Now, I don't know if Pope Leo is a never-Trumper sort of Republican, but most never-Trumpers at least understand the fundamental notions behind American conservative (traditionally considered liberal in Europe) economics and politics. And Trump's economic policies are pretty much the best of any Presidential candidate in history at aligning with the doctrines espoused by Pope Leo XIII's fundamental political doctrine, Rerum Novarum... and yes, it's that Pope who inspired Pope Leo XIV's name choice. He said so.

Now, I love Pope Benedict, but despite his economic opinions, not because of them. Pope Benedict seems to read Rerum Novarum as an economic leftist trying to fall in line with established precedent. But his reading of Rerum Novarum is tortured. Rerum Novarum first articulates the suffering of the working class during the industrial revolution, but argues that taking property from the rich to give to the poor is an indecent solution to the crisis. It demands just wages, but not through government intervention, but through morality and a proper understanding of labor. Benedict, sadly, reads this as demanding some sort of balance between socialism and freedom. This is like a doctor recognizing a patient is ill, but some supposed medicine is a murderously devised poison. Would you try to cure the patient by giving only a small dose of poison? The true solution to the crisis recognized by Rerum Novarum was moderated immigration, ingenuity, and Henry Ford's invention of the middle-class working-class.

That Pope Leo shares the Republican position on gay marriage, abortion and other "culture war" issues *SHOULD* be beyond question.

This Pope may be quite good... or at least there's strong cause for hope. Pray your knees off, people!


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: 00001crappope; 01pedoprotectorpope; fatherjamesray; popebob
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last

1 posted on 05/10/2025 9:28:50 PM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: dangus

He is from Chicago, so Prevost probably knew Baraq was a phony and an abortocrat.


2 posted on 05/10/2025 9:32:44 PM PDT by rfp1234 (E Porcibus Unum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Bookmark


3 posted on 05/10/2025 9:33:48 PM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (God save the United States!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rfp1234

True. And he also avoided voting for Sanders or Clinton by voting in the Republican primaries in 2016. And also in 2014. But if he were an economic leftist, the easier way to avoid formal cooperation with evil would be to stick to the politics of his new homeland, Peru.


4 posted on 05/10/2025 9:35:39 PM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: rfp1234; Morgana

(Baraq (Obama) was a phony and an abortocrat.)

“abortocrat”

I am sooooo gonna borrow that


5 posted on 05/10/2025 9:38:42 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Nice try but he is a progressive..Francis picked ĥim and since when is the church publicly standing for right to life..they certainly don’t say anything about politicians who loudly proclaim they are catholic and are right to choose,


6 posted on 05/10/2025 9:39:36 PM PDT by Recovering Ex-hippie (RINO going along to get along with)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., who represents New Orleans, also released a statement Thursday highlighting Pope Leo XIV’s “ancestral ties to our Creole and Haitian families,” saying he was proud “As a Black man” and “a proud son of New Orleans.”

Pope Leo XIV’s maternal grandparents, along with his mother’s older siblings, were “identified in records as Black or mulatto,” Honora told Forbes, but the family “passed … into a white racial identity” when they relocated to Chicago, where the pope’s mother—Mildred Martinez—was born in 1912.


7 posted on 05/10/2025 9:41:40 PM PDT by Macho MAGA Man (The last two weren't balloons. One w!as a cylindrical object)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ansel12; posterchild; Ge0ffrey; Codeflier; madison10; aMorePerfectUnion; Carry_Okie; ...

Thank you for your participation in my last threads, and to many of you for your encouragement. Here is further good news, including a buried lede that he chose the name Leo VIII in response to the encyclical, Rerum Novarum, as I had hoped he had done.


8 posted on 05/10/2025 9:42:08 PM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Macho MAGA Man

Yeah, I found it very interesting that it turns out he’s as black as Barrack Obama and more black than Kamala Harass. It suggests to me that whereas the liberal news media is trying to say the Pope supports their positions by suggesting he’s a liberal, they’re wary of pointing to him as an authority, otherwise he would be quite famously the first Black pope since the 5th century. (And given that it’s quite dubious that the Libyan popes were Black, probably the most Black pope ever.)


9 posted on 05/10/2025 9:46:30 PM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: dangus

I too am hopeful. In times of multiple wars, the Pope should be out talking to the parties, instead of the late fool, who preferred to show up at interfaith gatherings and spout heresy such as “All religions lead to God.”


10 posted on 05/10/2025 9:46:57 PM PDT by j.havenfarm (24 years on Free Republic, 12/10/24! More than 10,500 replies and still not shutting up!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Recovering Ex-hippie

Nice try? Hope is not a ploy.


11 posted on 05/10/2025 9:47:15 PM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Whatever the truth is, it will come out one way or another. The fact that he believes criminals that have blatantly violated our immigration laws, deserve to be “treated with respect” tells me all I need to know about him. That he could so easily disregard their violations, and disrespect for the laws of this country leaves me cold. He’s not out in the public living among them, having his tax dollars stolen, or been a victim of their crimes. He’s been protected from it effecting him, so I have no respect for someone who speaks out without knowing what it’s been like for the rest of the honest, law abiding Americans that have suffered from from this invasion.


12 posted on 05/10/2025 9:48:33 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mass55th

Reconsider what he actually wrote. First, unlike Francis, Pope Leo actually addressed Vance’s statement with a theological comment on a theological assertion. Francis would’ve just resorted to name-calling. Second, Pope Leo doesn’t even say Vance’s conclusions are wrong, but merely challenges the argument used to reach that conclusion. (But by the way, I think Vance’s theological position is the correct one.)


13 posted on 05/10/2025 9:51:24 PM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Democrats in open primaries when their own party candidate is uncontested, routinely cross over to vote in contested
Republican primaries in order to have more impact with their vote. They choose our most liberal/worst candidate, who then win s the party nomination, but goes on to lose to the Democrat in the general election.

So, which party was voted for in a primary doesn’t always mean the voter supports that party. It can mean the opposite.


14 posted on 05/10/2025 9:52:06 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustmilents offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Um even if he were full on MAGA, he’s not the President of the United States and the USA does not answer to the pope. 🙄 He can offer his critique or praise of presidents and kings and dictators all he wants but — even the chair of St Peter is limited and checked and balanced by the order of things…

God’s in control.


15 posted on 05/10/2025 9:53:04 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Ok..keep hoping he’s conservative.

It really won’t make any difference. He has no power in the political realm. None.


16 posted on 05/10/2025 9:53:14 PM PDT by Recovering Ex-hippie (RINO going along to get along with)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: CondoleezzaProtege

No...the politicians who are in charge are in control.

We have differing opinions who or what is in control .


17 posted on 05/10/2025 9:57:42 PM PDT by Recovering Ex-hippie (RINO going along to get along with)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: dangus

And even if pope were MAGA, he is still a human being and could have worse skeletons in his closet! What good is it to support Trump but then be horrible in every other way behind the scenes?! The main duty of the pope is to draw the lost to Christ. To and to being back prodigals into communion with the church! That’s what we should be prayerful about.


18 posted on 05/10/2025 10:00:00 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nutmeg

bookmark


19 posted on 05/10/2025 10:00:12 PM PDT by nutmeg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

kinda republican huh? does that mean he loves to hire illegals over Americans, and rob the middle class to give to the rich?


20 posted on 05/10/2025 10:02:56 PM PDT by dadfly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-62 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson