Posted on 02/20/2016 8:33:25 AM PST by Kaslin
Donald Trump's unseemly dust-up with His Holiness Pope Francis did not just start yesterday.
Nor were those of us who have seen this movie before in which Trump brilliantly works the media, naïve about what he was doing in engaging the Pope, whose early fall trip to the U.S., including Washington, New York and Philadelphia, garnered days' long wall-to-wall media coverage.
To wit:
On Thursday, February 11, the day before Pope Francis traveled to Mexico, Trump said he was "a very political person" and suggested that, in celebrating Mass Wednesday near the U.S.-Mexican border, he was being used by the Mexican government.
The Vatican press secretary Rev. Federico Lombardi responded by saying the "Pope's concern for the human dignity of migrants and refugees is universal."
Before the mass in Juarez, Pope Francis walked in the footsteps of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, who risk life and limb, seeking a better life in America, and, during his sermon, called out the "humanitarian crisis" that prompts citizens to flee their homeland.
Then, came round two on Thursday, February 18.
On his return flight from Mexico back to Rome, a reporter asked the Pope whether U.S. citizens who are Roman Catholic should vote for someone like Trump. To which he responded:
"I thank God that he has said I am a politician, as Aristotle defined the human being as an 'animal politicus': at least I am a human being! And that I am a pawn … perhaps, I do not know. I will leave that to your judgment, to the people. A person who thinks only of building walls, wherever that may be, and not bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel. With regard to what I would advise, to vote or not to vote: I would not like to become involved. I would say only that this man is not Christian. It is necessary to see if he has said these things, and for this reason I would give the benefit of the doubt."
This prompted Trump to call the Pope "disgraceful."
Let's be clear, the Pope did not say Donald Trump is not "a" Christian, just not "Christian," in his considered opinion, in this particular area, all things being equal. Like his run for the presidency in which, if he says it's so, it's so; by saying he's Christian, he seems to think his every thought, word and deed is, therefore, Christian.
Memo to Trump:
#1 - Being a Christian, "a bearer of Christ," and acting "Christian" at all times are two different things.
#2 - Helping people discern how close they are to Christ and what separates them from Christ, is what the Pope does for a living. When a penitent confesses his sins, and lack of virtue, i.e., bad habits, to the Pope, as the intermediary of Christ, as to any priest, he has to make a considered judgment. As your second favorite book, quoting Jesus, says: "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." (John 20:23)
#3 - Following in Christ's footsteps is the work of a lifetime and the one who does it perfectly is a "saint."
Nobody, certainly not Pope Francis, who is a near-saint and embodiment of Christ's humility, is suggesting Donald Trump is not "a Christian." Rather, he is suggesting, like all living Christians, he is a work in progress.
And, the more of a saint one is, the more obvious it becomes how unlike Christ one is.
Which means asking for forgiveness.
And, forgiving. Not seven times, but seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-35.)
Jesus obeyed the law.
Even when it condemned him to death for a crime he didn’t commit.
Give me Billions in Tax Free cash, I promise to be generous.
Popes come and go—Jesus is forever. Let Pope Francis jibber jabber if it makes him feel good, it doesn’t mean we have to listen to him. We know what Jesus said an that is all we need to know. If the Pope veers away from the teachings of Christ then we do not have to hang on to his every word. Popes come and go.
As a Catholic... Who will never vote for Ttump due to his theological issues with forgiveness and life.
For Pope Francis to say that border security is not Christian... While flying home to a city-state surrounded by a 39’ foot wall is the height of both stupidity and hypocrisy.
I’m already praying for his successor.
The bad news if you love America... Trump is the same kind of stupid and hypocritical.
Supporting the mandate and abortion are antithetical to conservative values... Trump will disappoint you much like Francis has many practicing Catholics.
Even though I am reassured of Il Papa’s holy intentions by the local clergy I am not convinced that he has any place at all in national politics. Its not his bag. JMHO!
You think the Pope spending the last night of his trip to Mexico in Juarez was pure coincidence?
Trump was right.
The Pope was being “political” and was a pawn of the Mexican Mafia (i.e., the official government).
Duh.
Francis built that wall personally!
Or lets try.....Francis will spend $2billion to remove the vatican wall...would you donate
Francis refuses a bullet proof vest...why?
Will the wall stop terrorists? No. Will it stop the poor ? Hey, we stole this land from their indian ancestors fair and square....ask the exterminated tribes.
Go Trump
Nice try, Your buddy the pope and his Mexican thugs arranged for the massive protest on the border.
Then, your buddy the pope, took a verbal shot at Trump because Trump will stop the illegals of the pope.
Then, your pope buddy meddled in our political process, and he is a prime example why our ancestors wanted a clear separation of church and state.
After Trump did his thing, you want us to relax.
No way, this will probably become an ad on TV until the election.
Amen!
You think the Pope spending the last night of his trip to Mexico in Juarez was pure coincidence?
Trump was right.
The Pope was being political and was a pawn of the Mexican Mafia (i.e., the official government).
This was a huge staging event by the Mexican open border thugs and their buddy the pope. They planned to deal Trump a knockout blow.
Instead Trump knocked the pope to his keister.
Why did the pro illegal Pope only take on Trump?
It does not take a genius to figure out that Trump will stop the importation of illegals.
May Clare, I am Catholic. I know the catechism. I can reference it. Read it. See what it says about immigration and illegal immigration. By large hordes, as we have now, it is invasion
The US bishops have been taken over in this decision by those bishops who were raised in Mexico and whose English is very poor the pope is with them. This Ida stare sponsored invasion encouraged by the weak bishops echoing te strong Mexican bishops who have no more intent to adapt and assimilate American ways than any of the other invaders
The pope entered American politics. We knew he would he worded it so that the journalist could make a false sound it’s and the too busy to read it trump bit.
But the Pope entered the arena
May Clare, I am Catholic. I know the catechism. I can reference it. Read it. See what it says about immigration and illegal immigration. By large hordes, as we have now, it is invasion
The US bishops have been taken over in this decision by those bishops who were raised in Mexico and whose English is very poor the pope is with them. This Ida stare sponsored invasion encouraged by the weak bishops echoing te strong Mexican bishops who have no more intent to adapt and assimilate American ways than any of the other invaders
The pope entered American politics. We knew he would he worded it so that the journalist could make a false sound it’s and the too busy to read it trump bit.
But the Pope entered the arena
BTW, the catechism very clearly states that this invasion is wrong. That Catholics should not aid in illegal immigration but should respect the laws of whatever nation they live in. It comes under the churc interpretation of the fourth commandment
And the pope and the us bishops have been actively defying it
Trump is no Catholic but he’ll allow Catholicism in this country if he does what he says he’ll do
Mary. Claire Whoopi forgets that the Vatican broadcast ahead of time they were going to be slamming the usa in juarez. They fired first. Idiots.
in the Year of Mercy, Resettozero wrote:
Donald Trump’s unseemly dust-up with His Holiness Pope Francis did not just start yesterday.
Didn’t you hear? It was a media-instigated and perpetuated “dust-up”.
Because it was a gratuitous insert of Trumps name by MSM
Rush Linbaugh uncovered this in his Friday talkie. The pope first of all did not even mention Trump by name. He was responding to a lengthy question posed by a so called reporter and his philosphical response was loaded with a lot of ifs. Beginning with if, he said, then, if he does, and if he did,
Rush replayed the audios
It was wholly inappropriate for the Pope to question Donald Trump’s faith, just as it was wholly inappropriate for Mr. Trump to question the faith of Dr. Carson and Senator Cruz.
Bearing false witness is not very Christian is it ???
You support Cruz the viper who has run the dirtiest low life campaign of any Gop candidate .
Talk about a hypocrite !
Is stealing Carson voters in IA for Jesus how low you will go???
Trump has already clarified a half a dozen times he supports private insurance healthcare program just like our auto insurance is.
handled .
Your spreading a spin that the usual suspects in the DC establishment media have pushed again for the 12 time.
How Christian of you.
Lol
Cruz attacked Trump first as usual.
Cruz has a 24-7 smear campaign against Trump running ugly attack ads which are all financed by his Tax Cheat NY hedge fund Billionaire sugar daddy , Robert Mercer /p>
The utter nerve of a DC fat cat like Cruz to peddled the phony Trashing Trump for Jesus nonsense say it all .
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