"Catholics Embrace Pope's Simple Gestures"
Sylvia Poggioli
***
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
Francis encourages frank discussion of global warming and its disproportionate
impact on the poor.
Notably, Science Denial is not a "Catholic thing."
More to the point, loose-cannon 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
/// http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/04/conservative-christians-and-global.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: 360-739-0214 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 360-739-0214 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
My blog is Fred Owens
send mail to:
Fred Owens
35 West Main St Suite B #391
Ventura CA 93001
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