The Pope is more political than a religious leader.
If you ask leading and Bible-believing Evangelicals what the biggest problem in the world is — I know that the overwhelming majority of them will say it’s that everyone have the knowledge and opportunity for the salvation of their soul, per the Gospel of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, according to the Scriptures.
The “less Bible-believing” one is, the more likely they are to look at one social ill or another as the major problem.
How many souls have been lost over love of money? 1 Timothy 6:10
what needs to be realized is that ... even if the Vatican were to sell off its wonderful art collection and give the proceeds to the poor (and maybe this should be done....)
the benefit would only last a limited time...
and most of the poor would remain poor. As transcribed by Mark, Matthew, and John, we are taught that “the poor ... will always be with ...you...”
To help them, we need to encourage their personal initiative, work ethic, and economic self- sufficiency.
In structural terms, we also need to reverse the policies of the last 4 or 5 years (in USA, anyway) that have been destroying the American economy, business, business and jobs.
Without employment opportunities, the poor are (deliberately, in USA now) forced onto the public dole, a state of utter dependence ... and usually with little or no hope for their futures.
Evangelii Gaudium does not say anything new in terms of Catholic teaching and economics. But its total lack of obeisance to the political powers in one wing of American politics both affronts and angers them. The Pope is a problem.
The last thing the political powers that be want is for religious leaders to start behaving as if Jesus Christ was actually the arbiter of their teachings. The scary thing about Pope Francis’ independence and total unconcern about them and their power is not only that tens of millions of American Catholics might follow him, but worse, that their toady religious leaders might consider preaching the Gospels of Christ instead of political expedience along with him.
Courage breeds courage. There is just the glimmer of a possibility that these had men of the fallen collar class might decide to become real men of God and start standing for Christ. What would happen if, instead of bending over and apologizing to their political masters for disagreeing with them, the religious leaders these political parties depend on for their moral cover actually stood for Christ?
Thus we are being treated to the sorry spectacle of tawdry attacks on the Vicar of Christ by people who have made their excellent livings promoting fealty to political christianity.
The pope attackers are trying to use the same thing that President Obama has used in pushing the HHS Mandate. They are counting — probably correctly — on the latent anti-Catholicism in our society, in particular in certain conservative Protestant circles.
Not only do these outlandish slanders against the Pope feed them red Catholic blood to whet their anti-Catholicism, they demonstrate what can happen to those who don’t do what they are told. The Pope might be able to shrug off their insults, but lesser clergy would have their reputations and careers wrecked by an onslaught like this.
In short, since they can’t bully and coerce the Pope, they will try as much as possible to isolate him and render his moral teachings insignificant among those religious leaders they can bully and coerce.
That is what is causing the outrageous attacks on the Pope. The claims that these pundits are making about Evangelii Gaudium are baseless lies. I’ve read the document and I can tell you that it is consistent with Catholic teaching on economics going back at least to the 19th century. I know this because I’ve also read the encyclicals of previous popes on this subject.
The Pope is a Marxist??? If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn I want to sell you.
Just a reminder, this is coming from a writer who works for the Unification Church - yeah, the Moonies...
If his doctrine is wrong, so will be his sense of government in the application of religion to the human condition.
Let him speak--not dictate--but say on to whom he will influence.
Or don't we believe in freedom of speech? and freedom to evaluate such opinions?
How many times did Jesus act or talk about money?
Overturning the moneychangers tables in the temple
Naming a tax collector as an apostle
The story of the 10. 5, and 1 talent
The widow’s mite
One cannot serve God and Mammon
Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s
Blessed are the poor
The magnificat — He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly.
youth unemployment, adult unemployment, whatever unemployment you can think of, leads to all of the other problems stated....when people are productively employed, appreciated for what they accomplish, compensated for their contribution to their employer, EVERYONE is happy, the employee, because he/she is appreciated, the employer because he/she can make a profit, therefore a paycheck,based on their capital investment risk, labor, etc. should be larger than the person who cooks the frys...
Got to remember that this was the “Francisian spirituality” side of Pope Francis speaking.
The Holy Spirit saves. Not the pope.
I’m confused. If it’s such a blessing to be poor, what’s the problem?
He does not know how !!