Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Pope Francis
There were no "liberal" candidates for Pope. To elect the first American, first Latin American, first Jesuit & first Pope Francis is remarkable. I have no idea what he will do as Pope.
Been an interesting few weeks. Not for the speculation on the choice of a new Pope, but for seeing the amount of discomfort many people feel toward the Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholics, the process of choosing a Pope. Except for the general tone a Pope sets, I don't see why most non-Catholics should care one way or another who the Pope is. I care mainly because the Catholics I know care. Only non-Catholics with fantastical, unrealistic notions of change would think there could be a Pope from the current collection of Cardinals with different views on abortion, marriage equality, & the ordination of women.
Argentinians still ask questions regarding his dealings with the military junta during the "dirty war" of the 1970's.
What I hope for is a Pope more concerned with cleaning his house of the rancid Vatican Bank dealings & sex abuse enablers than with disciplining nuns & college professors. A certain type of conservative Pope could want that, perhaps an Argentine Jesuit who takes the name of Francis - Assisi or Xavier or both. Perhaps he can help stem the flow of Latin Americans into charismatic Evangelical churches, which I see in my own city, & it makes me sad. Because the resources of the Roman Church when it attends to "least among us" are powerful, effective, global.. This must be what many American Catholics want their Church to do. Stop trying to influence civil elections, or at least show some consistency with issues of life, which also include opposing war & capital punishment, & the usual what would Jesus do? stuff: feeding the hungry, comforting the afflicted, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, healing the sick, visiting the imprisoned.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
Been an interesting few weeks. Not for the speculation on the choice of a new Pope, but for seeing the amount of discomfort many people feel toward the Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholics, the process of choosing a Pope. Except for the general tone a Pope sets, I don't see why most non-Catholics should care one way or another who the Pope is. I care mainly because the Catholics I know care. Only non-Catholics with fantastical, unrealistic notions of change would think there could be a Pope from the current collection of Cardinals with different views on abortion, marriage equality, & the ordination of women.
Argentinians still ask questions regarding his dealings with the military junta during the "dirty war" of the 1970's.
What I hope for is a Pope more concerned with cleaning his house of the rancid Vatican Bank dealings & sex abuse enablers than with disciplining nuns & college professors. A certain type of conservative Pope could want that, perhaps an Argentine Jesuit who takes the name of Francis - Assisi or Xavier or both. Perhaps he can help stem the flow of Latin Americans into charismatic Evangelical churches, which I see in my own city, & it makes me sad. Because the resources of the Roman Church when it attends to "least among us" are powerful, effective, global.. This must be what many American Catholics want their Church to do. Stop trying to influence civil elections, or at least show some consistency with issues of life, which also include opposing war & capital punishment, & the usual what would Jesus do? stuff: feeding the hungry, comforting the afflicted, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, healing the sick, visiting the imprisoned.
Labels: in the news, religion
