The Pope is coming under attack for his recent remarks on China:
Go here to read the rest. Popes have a difficult task when dealing with dictatorial states with large numbers of Catholics. The Catholics are in effect hostages. With that in mind one can understand that a Pope may not speak as bluntly as he might wish to. However, Pope Francis has a history of speaking quite mildly to governments of the left, while giving the back of the papal hand to governments with free markets and freely elected governments. Is the stance of the Pope Realpolitik or a manifestation of a “no enemies on the left” world view, even when the leftists are the leadership of China, who manage to combine some of the ugliest features of Communism and crony Capitalism? Compare and contrast with this letter to Chinese Catholics from Pope Benedict in 2007:
The Pope would love Bernie Sanders and hate Ted Cruz. This Pope is just like Obama.
China has always been a source of “inexhaustible wisdom” for the pope? I guess no one has told him about the one child policy. Calling him a communist sympathizer is being polite!
“inexhaustible wisdom”
I thought that was God.
Father of Seven
“I guess no one has told him about the one child policy.”
With this we get less of that eco-evil carbon footprint, and a sure cure to that awful habit of “breeding like rabbits.” Now if they could only excise themselves of that horrible capitalist-like colony of Hong Kong.
“[A] great culture, with an inexhaustible wisdom” is hardly an endorsement of the current regime, but a tribute to Chinese civilisation few would wish to dispute, especially when he adds that a people sometimes “makes a mistake and goes backwards a little, or takes the wrong path and has to retrace its steps to follow the right way.”
No one imagines Wittgenstein was endorsing National Socialism, when, in 1938, on a visit to Ireland,he called the Germans “a nation of poets and thinkers.” [dem Volke der Dichter und Denker]
I agree we should always look at the context of the pope’s words. In his case, he seems to save his superlatives for totalitarians. Was it the policy of forced organ donation from prisoners, the absolute ban on the free exercise of religion or the one child policy the pope was referring to when he said a people sometimes “makes a mistake and goes backwards a little”?
Remember the old Men At Work song, It’s a Mistake?
They made that song to castigate Reagan. However, it fits the current pontificate.
It is a mission of the Church to overcome Communism. John Paul II never stopped opposing this evil system.
Too bad the current pontificate is so full of itself.
Pope Francis, in my opinipn, would not do what JPII did to overthrow Communism.
Penguin Fan wrote, “It is a mission of the Church to overcome Communism”
A mission little insisted upon in the documents of the Second Vatican Council. The Council Fathers make little reference to it, except obliquely, in Gaudium et Spes, where one might expect to find it.
I do not consider the Second Vatican Council to be the “be all end all” of the Catholic Church” . Popes prior to the Second Vatican Council opposed Communism. The current pontificate is showing the world his idea of true and full implementation of the Second Vatican Council. This is what you get when an old Cardinal from a screwed up order and a screwed up country and a narrow worldview is put into a position of great authority.
This is what you get when an old Cardinal from a screwed up order and a screwed up country and a narrow worldview is put into a position of great authority.”
Penguin fan, you might just call it the “Peter Principle?”
“I do not consider the Second Vatican Council to be the “be all end all” of the Catholic Church” .
Comment of next week PF! Take ‘er away Sam!
Mr. McClarey, this has been a tough week. This video is a great way to end it! Thank you!
Michael P.-S. – as I understand it they soft pedaled any pointed discussion of communism. In the interest of getting Soviets to allow Russian clergy to attend