Pope Francis, in a 55 minute rant to a Vatican sponsored meeting of Third Word left wing pressure groups, attacked capitalism:
He denounced yet again “the globalizing ideological colonialism” that seeks to impose solutions that “do not respect the identity of the peoples” or their cultures.
He called on the popular movements to work “at the local and universal” levels and praised them for looking beyond the problems and creatively seeking solutions that give dignity to people, also through creating work. “I accompany you,” he assured them.
Francis told them that all the social teaching of the church and the magisterium of his predecessors “rebels against the idol that is money, which rules instead of serves, tyrannizes and terrorizes humanity.”
But he said, “no tyranny sustains itself without exploiting our fears,” and thus “every tyranny is terroristic.” Moreover, when this terror “which is sown in the peripheries by massacres, looting, oppression and injustice, and explodes in the center with different forms of violence, even with hateful and vile attacks, those citizens that still retain some rights are tempted by the false security of physical or social walls,” which “close in some and exclude others.”
Fear “is fed and manipulated,” Francis stated. It gives good dividends to “the merchants of arms and of death,” but “it weakens us, it destroys our psychological and spiritual defenses, it anesthetizes us against the suffering of others and makes us cruel.”
He urged those who have such fear to pray for courage and said “mercy is the best antidote against fear” and “is much more effective than walls, that barbed wire fences, than alarms and arms, and it is free. It is the gift of God.”
He called on the members of these movements worldwide “to build bridges between peoples, bridges that allow us to knock down the walls of exclusion and exploitation.”
He praised the popular movements for the countless different initiatives—such as cooperatives, recycling, restoring failed factories and so on—by which they succeed in overcoming “the atrophy of the socio-economic system that is unemployment” and help provide labor, housing and land for people.
Go here to read the rest. PopeWatch longs for a Pope who actually preached about Catholicism instead of crackpot leftism.
Last minute attempt to influence election.
“…and creatively seeking solutions that give dignity to people..”
It is not this world, or it’s cultural change agents, that bring “dignity to people,” but the knowledge with certainty that they were made as precious unique individuals, (not merely part of a political group), by a loving omnipotent creator, who seeks to have their souls with him into eternity.
Our dignity comes only from He who made us in His own image (to know, love and serve him into eternity) not from man-made social constructs, economic well-being, or even having the gifts of excessive knowledge, or beauty. No, our dignity comes from fully realizing (and living accordingly) who we are and why we were created–a goal that clearly has been placed into subservience of seeking worldly solutions by far too many of our spiritual shepherds.
Deploring the evils of the money power is by no means confined to the Left.
A High Tory like Samuel Johnson observed it evil effects in Scotland.
“In the Islands, as in most other places, the inhabitants are of different rank, and one does not encroach here upon another. Where there is no commerce nor manufacture, he that is born poor can scarcely become rich; and if none are able to buy estates, he that is born to land cannot annihilate his family by selling it. This was once the state of these countries. Perhaps there is no example, till within a century and half, of any family whose estate was alienated otherwise than by violence or forfeiture. Since money has been brought amongst them, they have found, like others, the art of spending more than they receive; and I saw with grief the chief of a very ancient clan, whose Island was condemned by law to be sold for the satisfaction of his creditors.
The name of highest dignity is Laird, of which there are in the extensive Isle of Sky only three, Macdonald, Macleod, and Mackinnon. The Laird is the original owner of the land, whose natural power must be very great, where no man lives but by agriculture; and where the produce of the land is not conveyed through the labyrinths of traffick, but passes directly from the hand that gathers it to the mouth that eats it. The Laird has all those in his power that live upon his farms. Kings can, for the most part, only exalt or degrade. The Laird at pleasure can feed or starve, can give bread, or withold it. This inherent power was yet strengthened by the kindness of consanguinity, and the reverence of patriarchal authority. The Laird was the father of the Clan, and his tenants commonly bore his name. And to these principles of original command was added, for many ages, an exclusive right of legal jurisdiction.”
Now, any pawnbroker, out of any gutter in Europe, can buy a Highland estate (and not a few have)
Dr. Johnson was willing to sell his principles for a pension. His fulminations against money should be taken with a mountain of salt.
The Pope’s image of business enterprise seems to begin and end with a small corps of financial sector sharks, corporate bean counters, and arms merchants. I’m trying to remember Frank Sheed’s discussions of the distinction between intellect and imagination. The Pope’s mediocrity is manifest in his apparently exclusive reliance on the latter (not to mention the historical and sociological illiteracy manifest in blaming military supply contractors for political conflict).
. Imagine if he worked instead of talking 24/7. There would be no lavender graduations in Catholic colleges next year.
Work …without cameras and media watching… totally bores this humble Pope. This is a reality show he is running constantly. We are becoming the Kardashians.
Now, any pawnbroker, out of any gutter in Europe, can buy a Highland estate (and not a few have)
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I’d refer you to the work of Jerome Blum if you’d like a description of life without factor markets (but wild seigneurial privilege).
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We live in a world where, in occidental countries, a grand total of 2% of output is in the realm of agriculture, husbandry, fishing, or forestry. Unless you’ve got some sort of Pol Pot program up your sleeve, quoting Johnson in this vein is idle social antiquarianism.
By the way, the ‘pawnbroker’ remark wasn’t cute. I was recently banned from one Catholic blog for suggesting they clean out the fantasists babbling about the Rothschilds or treating everyone to their fictions about Israel or investment in China. Instead, they salved the injured sensibilities of their resident clowns by getting rid of me. There’s all too much of that sort of discussion in the Catholic blogosphere.
. Imagine if he worked instead of talking 24/7. There would be no lavender graduations in Catholic colleges next year. Work …without cameras and media watching… totally bores this humble Pope
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The venerable Pius supposedly spent 3 hours a day in prayer. I don’t expect the Pope to join the building trades. You do get the impression this one’s an attention whore.
“By the way, the ‘pawnbroker’ remark wasn’t cute.’
Indeed!
I have always liked this retort that Disraeli supposedly gave when a slur was cast on his ancestry in Parliament:
“While your ancestors were painting themselves blue, my ancestors were worshipping one God.”
He actually said in a retort to a slur against him cast by Daniel O’Connell:
‘Yes, I am a Jew, and while the ancestors of the right honorable gentleman were brutal savages in an unknown island, mine were priests in the temple of Solomon.’”
Are 50+ million murdered unborn babies “chopped liver” for Pope Francis?
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LQC: “Last minute attempt to influence election.”
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It could be. I saw on Facebook a quoted byline purportedly from “The Atlantic.com”, “Pope ‘s closing arguments against Trump.” I’m not sure it is the same. I don’t waste time reading 100% bullshit.
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The so-called media (and apparently anti-catholic liberal blogs) are corrupt, incompetent Hillary’s WMD’s (Weapons of Mass Deception).
“The Pope’s mediocrity….” Very well said. He is a rather mediocre intellect. In his case, I believe it is due to intellectual laziness, although he does excel in using the strawman argument against all with whom he disagrees. I just wish someone would turn off his mic.
It appears that after repeated papal putdowns against walls (one presumes that includes sovereignty and the very concept of a nation–which is at the core of this election) this pope seems, repeat, seems, to even be in conflict the God’s gift of a nation to the Israeli people—the same chosen people that he had freed from Egyptian bondage.
Since when in Catholic heritage and thought has the faith sought to call a sovereign nation an evil in and of itself?
I can’t help but wonder how many of the starving and underdeveloped countries of six decades ago who benefited from the charity of Americans working hard for conglomerates would feel without the help from U.S.?
How much $ went into freshwater supplies, structures, agriculture development and other necessities? Money from so called colonists fueled many a kind fire and warm food.
Isn’t Vatican City enclosed by a wall? He should remove it….then pontificate on walls. And thus he furthers the entrance of an abortionist into the presidency through talking which non stop practice in his case prevents actual reading about the other candidate he is furthering in a very close race. Are we all sleeping and simply dreaming that he is Pope….Sartre’s Troubled Sleep.
Art Deco and Donald R McClarey
It is a bit of a stretch to equate “pawnbroker” with “Jew.” Talk about stereotyping.
Don L wrote, “[T]his pope seems, repeat, seems, to even be in conflict the God’s gift of a nation to the Israeli people—the same chosen people that he had freed from Egyptian bondage.”
Robert Redeker suggests that, after Cold War, the Left has replaced “sovietophilia” with “islamophilia,” and that “Palestinians and the contemporary Muslim masses replace the proletariat in the intellectuals’ imagination” as the pure, ideal alternative to Western capitalism. (Le Monde, 11/21/01).
It plays particularly well in Europe, because as Alain Finkielkraut has pointed out, “European unity is constructed around a series of ‘never agains.’ No more war, nor power, nor empire, nor nationalism. Progressive Europe has disavowed its embarrassing past. This makes it ill at ease with a state, Israel, that clings to its borders just as Europe renounces its own, that nurtures its army just as Europe demilitarizes, and that must combat implacable enemies just as Europe denies such things exist.”
A [true] prophet simply is a mouthpiece of God. It ought to be clear whose mouthpiece, whose prophet the pope is.
I don’t think it’s an attempt to influence the election. This speech reads very much like the speeches to the first and second World Meetings of Popular Movements (in 2014 and 2015).
The anti capitalist Pope, propped up by German money and influence…..
My Own Private Catholic Litany for the Elections
Lord God, Creator of the world, our Heavently Father, have mercy on us
Christ, redeemer of the world, Sovereign King, have mercy on us
Holy Spirit, holy wisdom and sanctifier of the world, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
Holy Mary, Immaculate Conception, pray for us
Immaculate Mother patroness of America and of distant isles, pray for us
St. John Neumann, pray for us
St. Damien de Vuester, pray for us
St. Junipero Serra, pray for us
St. Francesca Cabrini, pray for us
St. Elizabeth Seton, pray for us
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, pray for us
St. Katherine Drexel, pray for us
St. Theodora Guerin, pray for us
St. Marianne Cope, pray for us
St. Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us
All ye holy American blesseds and venerables, pray for us
Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos, pray for us
Bl. Miriam Theresa, pray for us
From Hillary Clinton’s plague of taxpayer-paid abortion up to the ninth month, Lord deliver us
From Hillary Clinton’s plan to make churches change their pro-life teachings and deep-seated beliefs, Lord deliver us.
From Hillary Clinton’s campaign’s plan to subvert the Catholic Church from within, Lord deliver us.
From Hillary Clinton’s plan to import thousands and thousands of Muslim invaders, Lord deliver us
From Hillary Clinton’s plan for legalized and taxpayer-paid euthanasia, Lord deliver us.
From Hillary Clinton’s continued selling of government access to foreign powers who don’t like us, Lord deliver us
From Hillary Clinton’s demonizing of poor people when speaking to her rich donors, and demonizing of rich people when speaking to the poor, Lord deliver us.
From the effects of Hillary Clinton’s campaign’s participation in demonic rituals, Lord deliver us.
From Hillary Clinton’s proposed $15-million amnesty tax per household, Lord deliver us.
From Hillary Clinton’s plan to wage war with Russia, Lord deliver us.
From Pope Francis’s meddling in American politics, Lord deliver us.
For the sake of unborn babies slated to be killed by Hillary’s patronage of the evil Planned Parenthood, Lord hear our prayer
For the sake of Christians in the Middle East who are being killed and persecuted by jihadist Muslims as a result of botched Hillary Clinton foreign policy, Lord hear our prayer
For the sake of lawful immigrants unjustly discriminated against in favor of those who break the laws, Lord hear our prayer.
For the sake of traditional marriage between one man and one woman, Lord hear our prayer.
For the sake of our Supreme Court that needs to be filled with pro-life, conservative Justices who will defend our Constitution instead of rule from the bench, Lord hear our prayer.
For the sake of those who’ve lost their jobs due to outsourcing to foreign countries, Lord hear our prayer.
For the sake of Mr. Trump, a very flawed candidate, but has the more Catholic agenda than that of Mrs. Clinton’s evil policies, Lord hear our prayer.
Father, may it be according to Your will that Mr. Trump wins. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
PRAYER
Lord God of the universe, Father of Our King Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father, have mercy on Your people of the United States of America. Open the eyes of American Catholics on the dangers of voting for Hillary Clinton on this most critical elections. Hear the prayer of Our Blessed Mother and our American saints who in life have worked for mercy and justice. With them, we pray for the healing of our land so that Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
Well done Marietta! None of us pray enough about politics.
@Marietta.
Beautiful Litany!
Exceptional.
I will use this as my morning prayer.
Thanks so much for sharing your prayers.
Just beautiful.
For the first time, a comment of mine was censored?
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Trying to convey the message via another post: James George Jatras – The Deep State
Private organizations do not censor FM. I will tolerate no comment that smacks of anti-Semitism.
Deleted your last comment FM. I am placing you on moderation. Keep pushing and you will be banned from this site. First and last warning.
Bye FM.
The Holy Father apparently disapproves of national borders and therefore does not believe countries are sovereign. He is wrong. What nonsense!
Now with, first, Geert Wilders’ rise; then Julian Assange and Wikileaks; then Farage and Brexit; and now, Trump’s triumph, more than ever the archaic political and accompanying autocratic socio-economic ideology of Bergoglio (not the papacy itself, which will have eternal meaning and authority, but he has hijacked it, in my view) is an old-world view of world hegemony that is being rejected by a tidal wave going round the globe.