Pope's speech to US Congress [full text] [CC]

[Charles041]

Millions of innocence die from abortion
Dozens of saddists die from public execution

Which issue was addressed more?

Reminds me of trading Barabas for Jesus.

 

[Seamus_L]

If this is what is being referred to as a condemnation of same sex marriage “I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life”. I see it as a rather vague statement by itself.

 

[whipp711]

Very much an inspirational speech in a political sense. The speech writers knew that any mention of abortion or SSM would invite rejection and spite. Alienate the seculars and play right into the hands of the press. To borrow the well worn phrase, very much a Church of Nice effort.

 

[Joe_5859]

Could you post his exact words regarding abortion and same sex marriage ?

Abortion:

The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.

Same sex “marriage”:

Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family.

Neither are explicit in the sense that he does not refer to them by name. But it’s in there.

 

[R_H_Benson]

Abortion:

The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.

Same sex “marriage”:

Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family.

Neither are explicit in the sense that he does not refer to them by name. But it’s in there.

Weak.

 

[whipp711]

Abortion:

The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.

Same sex “marriage”:

Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family.

Neither are explicit in the sense that he does not refer to them by name. But it’s in there.

Good point Joe. I’m just of the opinion that he should have been explicit on some very important topics. He didn’t pull any punches on the death penalty.

 

[MaryT777]

Abortion:

The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.

Same sex “marriage”:

Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family.

Neither are explicit in the sense that he does not refer to them by name. But it’s in there.

Thanks for the quotes. I missed the speech but will read it in full later.

Mary.

 

[Brandon_Cal]

“Wahhhhh! The Pope didn’t mention my favorite pet social issue! Wahhhhhh! I’m so ashamed to be Catholic!”

This forum is showing its true colors day by day.

 

[Joe_5859]

“Wahhhhh! The Pope didn’t mention my favorite pet social issue! Wahhhhhh! I’m so ashamed to be Catholic!”

This forum is showing its true colors day by day.

Each poster’s opinion is their own and does not necessarily represent the opinion of Catholic Answers, Catholic Answers Forums, their affiliates, or subsidiaries.

 

[Suudy]

“Wahhhhh! The Pope didn’t mention my favorite pet social issue! Wahhhhhh! I’m so ashamed to be Catholic!”

It’s not a mere “pet social issue.” It is THE social issue of our country. The murder of innocent children should be a source of consternation for all Catholics, indeed, all people. The fact that some people are more offended by immigration policy, capital punishment, or climate change than the murder of millions of innocent children is troubling to many here on CAF.

For you to characterize the pro-life sympathies on those of on CAF as a “pet” issue is ridiculous.

This forum is showing its true colors day by day.

You don’t have to be here. If you don’t like it, head over to the National Catholic Reporter’s website where I’m sure they are gleeful that the pope didn’t emphasize this “pet social issue.”

 

[FollowChrist34]

Could you post his exact words regarding abortion and same sex marriage ?

Abortion
Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility. Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. **A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk. Legislative activity is always based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you.
**
Moses provides us with a good synthesis of your work: you are asked to protect, by means of the law, the image and likeness fashioned by God on every human face.

SSM
I will end my visit to your country in Philadelphia, where I will take part in the World Meeting of Families. It is my wish that throughout my visit the family should be a recurrent theme. How essential the family has been to the building of this country! And how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement! **Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. ****Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. **I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.

This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. **A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. **

In this land, the various religious denominations have greatly contributed to building and strengthening society. It is important that today, as in the past, the voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is a voice of fraternity and love, which tries to bring out the best in each person and in each society. Such cooperation is a powerful resource in the battle to eliminate new global forms of slavery, born of grave injustices which can be overcome only through new policies and new forms of social consensus.

---

In all fairness, I had a tough time coming up with this stuff - had to bypass paragraph after paragraph after paragraph about US tolerance, nonintervention and avoiding fundamentalist tendencies (although please remember secularism is a form of fundamentalism in its extremity). This one is a cake walk for the left. But it is on political issues, not social issues where he goes left. Remember we still have the family conference coming up - this message was directed to the US as an international political power. I am not sure this is where the Pope would get into social issues, right, from his perspective? Tomorrow will be the answer to this - what does he say tomorrow with respect to the family. Better forum for that stuff - I hope.

 

[Joe_5859]

Good point Joe. I’m just of the opinion that he should have been explicit on some very important topics. He didn’t pull any punches on the death penalty.

I can respect that opinion. I know the Holy Father is holier and wiser than I am, so I defer to his choices in the matter. I know it would make me feel good to hear such things explicitly, but I also know there’s a difference between what makes me feel better and what might be best for the wider culture in the long term. Things like the death penalty and climate change are things that a secular audience can more easily get behind, so I can see the wisdom is using those as the starting point. From there, tackling other issues becomes more realistic.

 

[Songcatcher]

In particular, I would like to call attention to those family members who are the most vulnerable, the young. For many of them, a future filled with countless possibilities beckons, yet so many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair. Their problems are our problems. We cannot avoid them. We need to face them together, to talk about them and to seek effective solutions rather than getting bogged down in discussions.** At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future.** Yet this same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family.

I think he was addressing abortion in this section, too. He is asking us to look at the conditions which might dissuade someone from starting a family-young people who feel “trapped in a hopeless maze.” He is asking that we avoid getting “bogged down by discussion” and take action to “seek effective solutions” to the problems our young people face.

This was a wonderful speech but there were no easy answers or quick fixes. Instead, it was a thoughtful, intelligent speech from a thoughtful, intelligent man calling upon Congress, and all of us, to work together to solve the problems facing us.

 

[Suudy]

I can respect that opinion. I know the Holy Father is holier and wiser than I am, so I defer to his choices in the matter. I know it would make me feel good to hear such things explicitly, but I also know there’s a difference between what makes me feel better and what might be best for the wider culture in the long term. Things like the death penalty and climate change are things that a secular audience can more easily get behind, so I can see the wisdom is using those as the starting point. From there, tackling other issues becomes more realistic.

Perhaps. But when I hear language like:

“Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty. Not only do I support them…”

I’d also like to hear language like:

Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of abortion. Not only do I support them…
Or:
Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of assisted suicide. Not only do I support them…
Or:
Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of gay marriage. Not only do I support them…

As the leader of the Catholic church, I’d like to hear language that explicitly states Church teaching. If he can be explicit on some issues, he can be explicit on all issues.

 

[lax16]

I can respect that opinion. I know the Holy Father is holier and wiser than I am, so I defer to his choices in the matter. I know it would make me feel good to hear such things explicitly, but I also know there’s a difference between what makes me feel better and what might be best for the wider culture in the long term. Things like the death penalty and climate change are things that a secular audience can more easily get behind, so I can see the wisdom is using those as the starting point. From there, tackling other issues becomes more realistic.

I think you are on to something here.

I am wondering if Pope Francis is pulling on the heart strings of those who are pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage by discussing topics they can relate to, such as climate change and the death penalty.

Once their heart is stirred on these matters, they will be hopefully be stirred in these other more serious matters.

Instead of a top down approach, a bottom up approach perhaps?

I am disappointed as well, but am wondering if there is great wisdom behind his approach that we don’t see yet.

 

[Joe_5859]

Perhaps. But when I hear language like:

“Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty. Not only do I support them…”

I’d also like to hear language like:

Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of abortion. Not only do I support them…
Or:
Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of assisted suicide. Not only do I support them…
Or:
Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of gay marriage. Not only do I support them…

As the leader of the Catholic church, I’d like to hear language that explicitly states Church teaching. If he can be explicit on some issues, he can be explicit on all issues.

Sure. But he cannot be explicit on all issues all the time. Otherwise it would be a really long speech.

 

[gilliam]

The fact that the Church is against wealth inequality is not common knowledge in the US congress. It is important to clarify that in a place, like the US congress, that can do something about it.

I think it is pretty common knowledge in the US congress that the Church is against abortion in all its forms.

I don’t see anything wrong with the speech. One picks what you will talk about at any one time and attack other issues in less formal ways.

He still has a lot more speeches to make in this trip.

 

[Songcatcher]

I am wondering if Pope Francis is pulling on the heart strings of those who are pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage by discussing topics they can relate to, such as climate change and the death penalty.

Once their heart is stirred on these matters, they will be hopefully be stirred in these other more serious matters.

.

Maybe. Or maybe he talked about the issues he talked about because he cares about those issues and wanted to stir the hearts of those who dismiss them. That seems more likely. “More serious matters?” I think the Pope has made it pretty clear that he sees climate change, and the very survival of our planet, to be a very serious matter.

 

[TN_VOL]

“Wahhhhh! The Pope didn’t mention my favorite pet social issue! Wahhhhhh! I’m so ashamed to be Catholic!”

This forum is showing its true colors day by day.

I hope you are not referring to Jesus Christ as a “pet social issue,” considering the Pope didn’t mention him once.

 

[lax16]

Maybe. Or maybe he talked about the issues he talked about because he cares about those issues and wanted to stir the hearts of those who dismiss them. That seems more likely. “More serious matters?” I think the Pope has made it pretty clear that he sees climate change, and the very survival of our planet, to be a very serious matter.

Are you saying that you, and the Pope, believe climate change to be on the same level of importance as abortion?