Posted on 07/09/2015 7:32:01 AM PDT by Pyro7480
Pope Francis arrived in Bolivia on Wednesday on the second leg of his South American tour and immediately insisted that the Catholic Church continue to play an important role in society amid efforts by the government of President Evo Morales to curb its influence....
Morales came to power championing Bolivia's 36 indigenous groups and enshrined their rights in the constitution, and under his leadership Bolivia's economy has boomed thanks to high prices for its natural gas and minerals. But Morales has roiled the local church by taking a series of anti-clerical initiatives, including a new constitution that made the overwhelmingly Catholic nation a secular country.
In his speech, Francis noted the Catholic faith took "deep root" in Bolivia centuries ago "and has continued to shed its light upon society, contributing to the development of the nation and shaping its culture."
"The voice of the bishops, which must be prophetic, speaks to society in the name of the church, our mother, from her preferential, evangelical option for the poor" ....
In a deeply personal gesture soon after he arrived, Francis stopped his motorcade along the highway heading into town at the site where a Jesuit priest, the Rev. Luis Espinal, was left in 1980 after being detained and tortured by Bolivia's paramilitary squads.
"Remember one of our brothers, a victim of interests that didn't want him to fight for Bolivia's freedom," Francis said from the popemobile to a crowd gathered at the site. "Father Espinal preached the Gospel, the Gospel that bothered them, and because of this they got rid of him."
Morales gave Francis some politically loaded gifts, including one apparently with a link to Espinal — a crucifix carved into a wooden hammer and sickle, the Communist symbol uniting labor and peasants. The slain priest had a similar crucifix.
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...
Catholic ping!
In his speech, Francis noted the Catholic faith took "deep root" in Bolivia centuries ago "and has continued to shed its light upon society, contributing to the development of the nation and shaping its culture." "The voice of the bishops, which must be prophetic, speaks to society in the name of the church, our mother, from her preferential, evangelical option for the poor" ....
PFL
I hope he makes like Mike Tyson and just fades into Bolivia...
WOW!
Mary at Fatima warned of the evils of Communism.
For a displeased man, he sure took it well. No finger wagging and scolding from Francis. Even JPII-we-wuv-U had one of those in him, which he used to good effect in Nicaragua.
According to reports he said, “that’s not right.”
He should have removed the corpus and then hammered the loon with the hammer.
Or removed the corpus and give the rest back. THAT would have been a statement.
Morales might have had reason to believe that his gift would be well received. The blasphemous crucifix was similar to one owned by Fr. Luis Espinal, S.J.
“...Father Albo showed a reporter a published photo of a crucified Christ attached to a homemade hammer and sickle, instead of a cross, that Father Espinal kept by his bed.
“He was of the left. This is certain. But he never belonged to any party or pretended to be part of one,” said Father Albo, who said he hopes to present a replica of the hammer and sickle crucifix to the pope.
Father Espinal “gave a lot of importance to the dialogue between Marxists and Christians,” he explained...”
http://americamagazine.org/issue/prominent-jesuit-murdered-80-hailed-aiding-bolivian-democracy
The Pope prays at the site of Fr. Luis Espinal’s assassination
“...Upon reaching the eighth kilometre of the Chacaltaya highway, where a number of people were gathered, the Holy Father left the car and said: “Good afternoon, dear sisters and brothers. I stop here to greet you and, above all, to remember. To remember a brother of ours, the victim of those who did not want him to fight for freedom in Bolivia. Fr. Espinal preached the Gospel, and this Gospel troubled them, so they eliminated him. Let us spend a moment in silent prayer, and then let us pray together”...”
Comments at youtube say that, as well.
Understatement of the year?
That combination of communist symbology with Christian symbology is blasphemous.
How is that any different from the 'gift' the SCOTUS gave to Christians all across America the other day?
I'm not sure what you're really asking.
But here's a straight answer, take it however you like:
The hammer-and-sickle Crucifix is blasphemous. The attempt to combine communism and Christianity, which it represents, is blasphemous, idolatrous, and profane.
The sodomite supreme court decision, along with the completely anti-constitutional obamacare decisions and the housing discrimination decision, are judicial tyranny tinged with totalitarianism.
They are different categories of evil.
Yes, the Bolivian president's marxism is evil. And yes, the supreme court's judicial tyranny is evil.
If we are to combat evil, I think it is useful to know what sort of evil we face. Going to war with an enemy we do not understand is, IMHO, folly ... particularly when we can understand the enemy.
Could you post the youtube?
I’d like to know what he thought wasn’t right. Because the hammer and sickle in the picture is not an accurate representation of the hammer and sickle symbol either.
Bottom line: did he accept it?
The youtube video link was posted in #1, but it seems to have been blocked. It’s currently marked “private” and I can no longer view it.
As to the “bottom line”, IMO he did not seem to be pleased with it, and did not pose holding it.
Apparently he already has a similar symbol around his neck.
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