Pope Francis drives a wedge between Catholic Church, GOP

[gracepoole]

Pope Francis is increasingly driving a wedge between conservatives and the Catholic Church.

The magnetic pope has sparked new enthusiasm around the world for the church and has flexed his political muscles internationally, most recently by helping to engineer a new relationship between the United States and Cuba.

But Francis’s agenda, which also includes calls to address income inequality and limit climate change, is putting him at odds with Republicans, including GOP Catholics in the United States.

thehill.com/homenews/administration/228289-pope-francis-splits-with-gop#.VKPhCn9NteQ.twitter

Cuba, climate change, capitalism – not too surprising that the pontiff has ruffled some feathers.

 

[_Abyssinia]

Is there an article on how Pope Francis is driving a wedge between the Catholic Church and Democratic liberals on issues such as homosexual ‘marriage,’ and abortion?

 

[CatholicSheila]

Is there an article on how Pope Francis is driving a wedge between the Catholic Church and Democratic liberals on issues such as homosexual ‘marriage,’ and abortion?

No, because they believe the news headlines and think he’s about to change Church teaching.

One day they will get a rude awakening.

 

[gracepoole]

No, because they believe the news headlines and think he’s about to change Church teaching.

One day they will get a rude awakening.

People here keep making this claim. Where is the evidence for it? Most of the “liberal Catholics” I know aren’t naive enough to think that Francis will change Church teachings.

 

[christofirst]

Is there an article on how Pope Francis is driving a wedge between the Catholic Church and Democratic liberals on issues such as homosexual ‘marriage,’ and abortion?

He’s an equal opportunity wedge-driver! He causes all of us to reconsider our priorities, if we let him.

 

[ringil]

And the rightist Catholics continue to state that the Pope is continually being misquoted, taken out of contrast, or warped.

I understand it must be hard to swallow the idea that your religious leader doesn’t share your basic economic and social ideas but pretending that his views aren’t his own is just transparent and immature.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This is all conclusory. The citation of Simone Campbell pretty well tells us this is a very left wing oriented piece.

As to wedges, can anyone disagree that the Pope disapproves of the oppression, religious and in every other way, in Cuba? He has definitely done so. The problem with articles and threads of this nature is that it ignores the fact that Cuba does not do any of the things this Pope or any other has called on the Cuban government to do, but focuses only on that which the Pope would like the U.S. to do. foxnews.com/us/2014/12/19/little-known-book-by-pope-outlines-views-hopes-for-cuba-in-criticizing-castro/

The difficulty being that such articles and threads make it appear that the Pope doesn’t realize political settlements are a two-way street. I expect he does. But the left, of course, who would like to make Catholicism a subsidiary of the Democrat party, does not credit him with that much sense.

Doing so, it might be added, is a tremendous disservice to the Church. By falsely painting the pope as a left wing ideologue, those who do so run the risk of causing people who have no intention of becoming leftists to reject the Church because of the false picture.

 

[christofirst]

And the rightist Catholics continue to state that the Pope is continually being misquoted, taken out of contrast, or warped.

I understand it must be hard to swallow the idea that your religious leader doesn’t share your basic economic and social ideas but pretending that his views aren’t his own is just transparent and immature.

Good point! We certainly do feel threatened whenever the pope causes us to reconsider whatever it is we think is most important. I also tire of seeing so many explanations and reinterpretations of the Holy Father’s message. It seems to me these explanations and reinterpretations are given so that we can once more feel justified in doing whatever it is we’ve always done.

 

[gracepoole]

This is all conclusory. The citation of Simone Campbell pretty well tells us this is a very left wing oriented piece.

As to wedges, can anyone disagree that the Pope disapproves of the oppression, religious and in every other way, in Cuba? He has definitely done so. The problem with articles and threads of this nature is that it ignores the fact that Cuba does not do any of the things this Pope or any other has called on the Cuban government to do, but focuses only on that which the Pope would like the U.S. to do. foxnews.com/us/2014/12/19/little-known-book-by-pope-outlines-views-hopes-for-cuba-in-criticizing-castro/

The difficulty being that such articles and threads make it appear that the Pope doesn’t realize political settlements are a two-way street. I expect he does. But the left, of course, who would like to make Catholicism a subsidiary of the Democrat party, does not credit him with that much sense.

Doing so, it might be added, is a tremendous disservice to the Church. By falsely painting the pope as a left wing ideologue, those who do so run the risk of causing people who have no intention of becoming leftists to reject the Church because of the false picture.

Sr. Campbell’s comment is the final quote included but what about the quotes from Rubio and Diaz-Balart?

 

[shelby_sun]

Working with several Jesuit priests, they find all this debate ridiculous. First of all because it takes away from God as our focus and because whatever happen,s there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Above all else those who selected Pope Francis knew his liberal background, which is a Jesuit thinking. They do not admire wealth, power, fame, etc. and do not believe those are things we should have as are own priorities; however, they know that money and power are very big things in our world, so I believe the Pope is trying to get people to use their money and power for the best causes, to help the most people. It is not political to Pope Francis it is more a humanitarian issue.

 

[Usige]

People here keep making this claim. Where is the evidence for it? Most of the “liberal Catholics” I know aren’t naive enough to think that Francis will change Church teachings.

That’s true. The just continue to ignore Church teaching and do what ever they feel is right regardless of who occupies the seat of St Peter.

(Not to say others all over the political spectrum don’t do the same.)

 

[Colorad007]

And the rightist Catholics continue to state that the Pope is continually being misquoted, taken out of contrast, or warped.

I understand it must be hard to swallow the idea that your religious leader doesn’t share your basic economic and social ideas but pretending that his views aren’t his own is just transparent and immature.

I don’t vote Republican because the pope tells me to. I vote Republican because Democrats are the Party of Death and supporting them would in at least most cases be morally unconscionable

 

[gilliam]

I have been saying this for years: The Catholic Church is not a branch of the GOP.

 

[christofirst]

But I think a lot of conservatives do wish a pope would declare that all Americans must vote Republican. They would love to once and for all tie our vote to our eternal salvation. What a marvelous campaign strategy that would be!

 

[Path_Finder]

But I think a lot of conservatives do wish a pope would declare that all Americans must vote Republican. They would love to once and for all tie our vote to our eternal salvation. What a marvelous campaign strategy that would be!

Not really, we all have the right to vote the way our conscience dictates, we all have free-will. If one wishes to vote with or against the Church and its teachings, that’s up to their consciences, liberals or conservative.

It’s a matter of life and death for me. If others care to vote other ways, that is their free will.

 

[Path_Finder]

I have been saying this for years: The Catholic Church is not a branch of the GOP.

I have been saying for years, the Catholic Church teaches us not to vote against the right to life. Hence, we certainly know the Democratic Party is not a branch of the Catholic Church.

 

[gracepoole]

But I think a lot of conservatives do wish a pope would declare that all Americans must vote Republican. They would love to once and for all tie our vote to our eternal salvation. What a marvelous campaign strategy that would be!

The GOP would certainly approve. This was one of Karl Rove’s major goals during the GW years: securing the Catholic vote for the GOP.

 

[Darryl1958]

I think that it is fair for liberals to conclude that Pope Francis is a liberal.
Would they be any less likely to vote for the liberal option in the times when the popes were more conservative?

There is no wedge being driven between Catholics and the conservative option. Republicans are just as Catholic now that there is a liberal minded pope in office ans Democrats were Catholic when there is a conservative minded pope in office.

I don’t think that the pope is any worse a moral leader on account of his being more liberal than the last few popes were on account of them being conservative. Different popes have different points of view. This is how it should be.

 

[StMikhael]

And the rightist Catholics continue to state that the Pope is continually being misquoted, taken out of contrast, or warped.

I understand it must be hard to swallow the idea that your religious leader doesn’t share your basic economic and social ideas but pretending that his views aren’t his own is just transparent and immature.

Couldn’t agree more. When I hear from Pope Francis I want to hear from Pope Francis.

His recent views on various matters has caused me to take pause and ask myself if I am being influenced in thought because I read/watch/listen more to one party’s perspectives than the other.

I find myself agree because I generally agree, but then Pope Francis’s words causes me to rethink. For this I am grateful.

 

[estesbob]

But I think a lot of conservatives do wish a pope would declare that all Americans must vote Republican. They would love to once and for all tie our vote to our eternal salvation. What a marvelous campaign strategy that would be!

It wouldn’t matter. Democrat Catholics would ignore him anyway.

There is nothing that this Pope is has done that this Republican takes issue with . At some point the secular media and so-called progressive Catholics will realize that the Pope really is Catholic and they will turn on him with a vengeance