Excerpt: As
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis I criticized "the tyranny of
the market" and "economic and financial terrorism."
Catholics Embrace Pope Francis' Simple Gestures
First Papal Tweets:
In his first tweet after his inauguration on the @Pontifex account, Pope Francis said: "Let us keep a place for Christ in our lives, let us care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation."
He then tweeted again: "True power is service. The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable." http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/07/proposal-for-two-years-of-obligatory.html
***
Dear Fred,
Thanks for your encouraging words.
I am trying to track down Sylvia Poggioli's (NPR) reference to Pope Francis' criticism of the existing order’s "economic and financial terrorism."
In pursuit of that reference, I discovered a landmark document issued by The Bishops of Argentina in November, 2011.
Since this document appears foundational to Pope Francis I's economic views – and absent an online English language version -- I have translated the sections that seem most relevant to Cardinal Bergoglio's economic orientation. http://paxonbothhouses.
However you slice it, the new pope is no friend of Cowboy Capitalism, a moral calamity so profound that most Christians, bred in theological “hot houses”, are constitutionally incapable of contemplating its horror.
Simone Weil observed: “Purity of heart is the ability to contemplate defilement.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simone_Weil
And so, the current generation of Christian Pharisees averts its gaze from the real Beast, contenting itself with the demonization of liberalism which, like or not, is half the political spectrum.
From what I have read, Francis is likely to become the most vocal "mainstream" opponent of free market capitalism since Franklin Roosevelt and Norman Thomas.
I am also encouraged by Francis’ initial calls for loving stewardship of the natural world. I will not be surprised if his tocsin adumbrates frank environmental analysis of global warming and its disproportionate impact on the poor. (Notably, Denial of Science is not a "Catholic thing" and the denial of anthropogenic global warming has no place in Jesuit thought: "black robes" are too intellectually rigorous to entertain such nonsense. http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_specter_the_danger_of_science_denial.html)
Saint Peter’s bark is setting sail on deep, largely uncharted waters.
Here is Francis' keynote for the voyage: "All told, six sovereign rulers, 31 heads of state, three princes and 11 heads of government were attending. Francis directed his homily to them, saying: “I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be protectors of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment.” Among the religious VIPs attending was the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Bartholomew I, who became the first patriarch from the Istanbul-based church to attend a papal investiture since the two branches of Christianity split nearly 1,000 years ago. Also attending for the first time was the chief rabbi of Rome. Their presence underscores the broad hopes for ecumenical and interfaith dialogue in this new papacy given Francis’ own work for improved relations and St. Francis of Assisi. In a gesture to Christians in the East, the pope prayed with Eastern rite Catholic patriarchs and archbishops before the tomb of St. Peter at the start of the Mass and the Gospel was chanted in Greek rather than the traditional Latin." http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/19/heres-what-pope-francis-had-to-say-at-his-installation-mass/
Pax on both houses,
Alan
On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 11:17 AM, Fred Owens <froghospital911@gmail.com> wrote:
lots of good stuff on your blog -- thanks
--
Fred Owens
cell:
My blog is Fred Owens
send mail to:
Fred Owens
35 West Main St Suite B #391
Ventura CA 93001
No comments:
Post a Comment