We can blame it on the Coronavirus. We’re justifying all kinds of crazy decisions with the virus. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And let’s face it, this Pope is defective.
Every Pope is defective. The book of Romans makes that clear. And I’m not exempt from the “defective” accusation myself. I’d make a terrible Pope. So don’t write me in on the ballet.
I’m not a fan of doublespeak no matter who (who) speaks (speaks) it (it). But doublespeak from presumed spiritual leaders is especially offensive.
“Today I believe we have to slow down our rate of production and consumption and to learn to understand and contemplate the natural world. We need to reconnect with our real surroundings. This is the opportunity for conversion.
Pope Francis
Yes, I see early signs of an economy that is less liquid, more human.”
Okay, so we’ve got to slow down our production and consumption in order to contemplate the natural world. Reconnect with our “real” surroundings. And what, exactly, would that look like? I can’t fathom how I’ll “reconnect” to “real” without either producing or consuming something. My “real” life is production and consumption. Inhale and exhale. Catch and release. Give and take.
This confusing sentiment by itself doesn’t merit voting in a new Pope. Let’s cut The Holy Father some slack. Maybe he can clarify his thinking.
“And speaking of contemplation, I’d like to dwell on one point. This is the moment to see the poor. Jesus says we will have the poor with us always, and it’s true. They are a reality we cannot deny. But the poor are hidden, because poverty is bashful. In Rome recently, in the midst of the quarantine, a policeman said to a man: “You can’t be on the street, go home.” The response was: “I have no home. I live in the street.” To discover such a large number of people who are on the margins …”
Pope Francis (…during the same interview)
One of the easiest things I’ve ever done is “see the poor”. Somebody needs to tell the Pope – the poor are not “hidden”. They are everywhere. It’s impossible to miss them. Their advocates regularly step up to the microphone and denounce me for “ignoring their plight” and “turning a blind eye to their suffering”.
The Pope is one of their advocates. Perhaps the most notorious and powerful advocate of all. An advocate who just suggested that we slow down our rate of production. Stop focusing on finances and notice all the marginalized people around us. Sympathize!
It seems the Pope doesn’t know that poor people can’t eat sympathy. Roofs made out of “awareness” don’t keep rain off your head. In other words, poor people need resources which only exist when somebody produces them. Slowing down production will create MORE poverty.
But it feels good to “think about the poor”, doesn’t it? It feels good to pray for the marginalized. And it feels GREAT to tell people how much you care.
Feed the hungry! Throw bread into the streets! But do it quickly because the baker is shutting down his shop to “connect with his real surroundings”. Tomorrow he’s going to be sleeping in a cardboard box when the policeman comes around.
I know Popes aren’t elected. So we can’t vote this one out. I have no say in who gets to wear the hat and carry the scepter. But I can decide how the Pontiff’s opinions influence my thinking.
“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
Colossians 2:8
3 Responses
I guess you weren’t satisfied with only insulting nurses and doctors saving lives, huh? I mean, the Catholic bashing should be thrown in too, huh? Anticatholicism is the only acceptable prejudice nowadays, right? I’m an ER RN and a Catholic and everything I’ve seen from you is absolute self righteous garbage. If you’d taken this time for some introspection like the Holy Father recommended, perhaps you could clear the eyes of your soul to see. Let me know how it is the next time you have to be in a room with no protective gear swabbing someone for Covid-19. Oh that’s right- I do that, not you. And yes, it’s because I am essential.
Proud much? You are doing your job, the one you signed up for and while we are all very thankful for you it does not give you the right to talk down and scowled everyone who thinks differently than you. No one is being prejudice against Catholics. It is ok to disagree with something the pope says. He is in fact not God.
One of the most important facts that so many people miss is we need people to produce and be entrepreneurs who create new industries and jobs for us and to provide jobs, which ultimately provides help to the entire society. Yes, that creates millionaires and billionaires, so what, it also provides work for hundreds and thousands of other people. If you don’t have that production there is no money and then there is no help for the poor. We all become poor and you look like Venezuela or Cuba.