Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 4:12am

PopeWatch: Brexit

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The Pope gave another inflight interview on his flight back from Armenia, and it is a doozy.  We will be examining it piece by piece this week.  Go here to read the text of the interview.

Today we look at the Pope’s response to a question about Brexit:

 

 

 

Edward Pentin (National Catholic Register): As John Paul II, you seem to be a supporter of the European Union and you praised the European project when you recently won the Charlemagne prize. Are you worried that Brexit could bring about the disintegration of Europe and eventually war?

Pope Francis: There is already a war in Europe. Moreover, there is a climate of division, not only in Europe, but in its own countries. If you remember Catalonia, last year Scotland. These divisions… I don’t say that they are dangerous, but we must study them well, and before take a step forward for a division, to speak well amongst ourselves, and seek out viable solutions… I honestly don’t know. I have not studied the reasons why the United Kingdom wanted to make this decision, but there are divisions. I believe I said this once, I don’t know where, but I said it: That independence will make for emancipation. For instance, all our Latin American countries, even the countries of Africa, have emancipated from the crown, from Madrid. Even in Africa from Paris, London, Amsterdam . . . And this is an emancipation, and is more understandable because behind it there is a culture, there is a way of thinking . . . . rather, the seccession of a country — I’m still not speaking of Brexit; we think of Scotland, all these… It is a thing that has been given a name, and this I say without offending, it is a word which politicians use: Balkanization, without speaking ill of the Balkans. It is somewhat of a seccession, it is not emancipation. And behind (it) there are histories, cultures, misunderstandings, even good will . . . this is clear. For me, unity is always better than conflict, but there are different ways of unity . . . and even fraternity, and here comes the European Union; fraternity is better than animosity and distance. Fraternity is better and bridges are better than walls. One must reflect on all of this. It is true: a country . . . I am in Europe, but . . . I want to have certain things that are mine from my culture and the step that . . . and here I come to the Charlemagne Prize, which is given by the European Union to discover the strength that it had from its roots. It is a step of creativity, and also of “healthy disunity,” to give more independence, more liberty to countries of the Union, to think of another form of Union, to be creative. And creative in places of work, in the economy. There is a liquid economy in Europe. For instance, in Italy 40 percent of young people aged 25 and younger do not have work. There is something that is not good in this massive Union, but we do not throw the baby in the bath water out the window, no? We look to redeem the things and recreate, because recreation of human things, also our personality, is a journey, which one must always take. A teenager is not like an adult, or an elderly person. It is the same and it is not the same. One recreates continuously. It is this that gives life, the desire to live, and gives fruitfulness. And this I underline: today, the word, the two key words for the European Union, are creativity and fruitfulness. This is the challenge. I don’t know, it’s what I think.

 

 

What war in Europe was the Pope referring to?  The war caused by mass immigration from Islamic countries?  Putin’s aggressions?  War as metaphor?  Who knows.  It was refreshing hearing the Pope admitting his ignorance in regard to Brexit.

 

 

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Father of Seven
Father of Seven
Friday, July 1, AD 2016 4:19am

Ignorance in regard to Brexit? How about ignorance in regard to forming a coherent response to a simple question. It took him that long to merely kind of answer a simple question? Hagan Lio? His thoughts are a mess. What arrogance. What leftist drivel. If you are from Latin America or Africa, then it’s about emancipation. If you are British, it’s about seccession and Balkanization, with apologies to the Balkans no less. Lord save us.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Friday, July 1, AD 2016 6:58am

Oh for a Pope who would say, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!”

Oakes Spalding
Friday, July 1, AD 2016 8:15am

Utter incoherent idiotic blather.

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