The devil is in the detail: Why pope francis really rejected donation from argentinian president

[gilliam]

Pope Francis has rejected a large donation from the Argentine president because he does not want to be associated with his home country’s economic policies, an adviser who is close to Pope Francis has told The Tablet.

Earlier this month President Mauricio Macri (pictured with Pope Francis) wrote a cheque for 16,666,000 pesos (£853,000) for Francis’ educational foundation - but the Pope turned down the gift citing the fact it contained the figure 666 (a number that is associated with the Devil).

But speaking to The Tablet, Juan Grabois, an Argentinian social activist who is close to the Pope, said the gift “should not have been made” given the hardships facing people in the country and likened it to an act of “simony” - the act of buying ecclesiastical privilges.

“The Pope did not reject the donation because of the number,” Grabois said. “The donation was the wrong thing to do. In Argentina, we are now in a very bad socio-economic crisis, caused by policies that have a scent of ‘neo-liberalism.’ ”

thetablet.co.uk/news/5706/0/the-devil-is-in-the-detail-why-pope-francis-really-rejected-donation-from-argentinian-president-#.V2K3SkWhcEE.twitter

 

[Hatikvah]

Pope Francis has rejected a large donation from the Argentine president because he does not want to be associated with his home country’s economic policies, an adviser who is close to Pope Francis has told The Tablet.

I say that this is a very good action for Pope Francis. People would have criticized him for “being too involved in secular economics.”

 

[J_Peterson]

I thought that the ‘666’ thing was a bit superstitious for a Catholic leader. Not that it would be a terrible thing if he was a bit superstitious (we all are to some extent) but seemed weird to me, almost like a joke.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

A much more sensible explanation - especially today, 6-16-16…uh, oh.

 

[ARSpade]

“The Pope did not reject the donation because of the number,” Grabois said. “The donation was the wrong thing to do. In Argentina, we are now in a very bad socio-economic crisis, caused by policies that have a scent of ‘neo-liberalism.’ ”

thetablet.co.uk/news/5706/0/the-devil-is-in-the-detail-why-pope-francis-really-rejected-donation-from-argentinian-president-#.V2K3SkWhcEE.twitter

Macri has been in office for literally 6 months. Blaming him for the poor Argentine economy, which has been that way and going that way for a while, is a little ridiculous.

 

[2PT3]

The Pope seems first and always to be a political person. And it is always extreme left-wing politics. The reference to “neo-liberalism” as essentially being evil is telling. The economic policies that Pope Francis supports have always and everywhere led death and economic despair and not to economic growth, prosperity, employment and rising standards of living. If you want to see how the economics that Pope Francis supports looks in practice, look to Venezuela, where they don’t even have toilet paper to wipe with despite having the largest oil reserves in the world. He is basically a cartoon caricature of an ill-informed and naïve economic leftist.

 

[StudentMI]

The Pope seems first and always to be a political person. And it is always extreme left-wing politics. The reference to “neo-liberalism” as essentially being evil is telling. The economic policies that Pope Francis supports have always and everywhere led death and economic despair and not to economic growth, prosperity, employment and rising standards of living. If you want to see how the economics that Pope Francis supports looks in practice, look to Venezuela, where they don’t even have toilet paper to wipe with despite having the largest oil reserves in the world. He is basically a cartoon caricature of an ill-informed and naïve economic leftist.

Uh, yeah, not really. A better example would be Norway, Germany, Belgium, etc. Even Pope Benedict (hardly an “extreme left winger”) described Democratic socialism (elsewhere referred to as social democracy) as very close to Catholic social teaching, and cited post-war Germany as an example. So…

 

[dshix]

Did the pope really use the number 666 as his excuse for not accepting the donation? I find that rather shocking. I didn’t know he was superstitious.

 

[JurisPrudens]

Uh, yeah, not really. A better example would be Norway, Germany, Belgium, etc. Even Pope Benedict (hardly an “extreme left winger”) described Democratic socialism (elsewhere referred to as social democracy) as very close to Catholic social teaching, and cited post-war Germany as an example. So…

Post-war Germany was governed by the principles of “Ordoliberalism”, not those of “democratic socialism”.

 

[JurisPrudens]

Pope Francis has rejected a large donation from the Argentine president because he does not want to be associated with his home country’s economic policies, an adviser who is close to Pope Francis has told The Tablet.

Earlier this month President Mauricio Macri (pictured with Pope Francis) wrote a cheque for 16,666,000 pesos (£853,000) for Francis’ educational foundation - but the Pope turned down the gift citing the fact it contained the figure 666 (a number that is associated with the Devil).

But speaking to The Tablet, Juan Grabois, an Argentinian social activist who is close to the Pope, said the gift “should not have been made” given the hardships facing people in the country and likened it to an act of “simony” - the act of buying ecclesiastical privilges.

“The Pope did not reject the donation because of the number,” Grabois said. “The donation was the wrong thing to do. In Argentina, we are now in a very bad socio-economic crisis, caused by policies that have a scent of ‘neo-liberalism.’ ”

thetablet.co.uk/news/5706/0/the-devil-is-in-the-detail-why-pope-francis-really-rejected-donation-from-argentinian-president-#.V2K3SkWhcEE.twitter

You all know that the Tablet is a heterodox publication.

An “Argentinian social activist who is close to the Pope” should also sound suspicious.

 

[Dorothy]

Did the pope really use the number 666 as his excuse for not accepting the donation? I find that rather shocking. I didn’t know he was superstitious.

In the first message of this thread it was stated that the number 666 was NOT the reason for Pope Francis to reject the donation.

 

[StudentMI]

Post-war Germany was governed by the principles of “Ordoliberalism”, not those of “democratic socialism”.

Ah ha! You did help me recognize my error about what he said. He spoke of Wilhelmine Germany. My bad. However, he still said this about Democratic socialism:

But in Europe, in the nineteenth century, the two models were joined by a third, socialism, which quickly split into two different branches, one totalitarian and the other democratic. Democratic socialism managed to fit within the two existing models as a welcome counterweight to the radical liberal positions, which it developed and corrected. It also managed to appeal to various denominations. In England it became the political party of the Catholics, who had never felt at home among either the Protestant conservatives or the liberals. In Wilhelmine Germany, too, Catholic groups felt closer to democratic socialism than to the rigidly Prussian and Protestant conservative forces. In many respects, democratic socialism was and is close to Catholic social doctrine and has in any case made a remarkable contribution to the formation of a social consciousness.

firstthings.com/article/2006/01/europe-and-its-discontents

Bolded by me for emphasis. Keep in mind, that is Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger writing that. Not Pope Francis.

As far as ordoliberalism, looks like a right wing to centrist variant of social democracy to me.

 

[graciew]

All right. Peace on earth.
The Pope has a brotherly relationship with the people of Scholas. It was nothing strange nor has anything to do with the new president.

He simply said that we were going through hardships and that it wasn t right to ask the people for money ,not one cent right now.He asked Scholas to return the money and send him the “receipt” or whatever…that they had done so
He asked to count as usual on Divine Providence. That he would rather have the usual dusty field and boys playing soccer joyfully…( as it has always been! This is mine )
And it was ok. Nothing strange but the usual second guessing behind a simple sensible act and a misunderstanding.
The mentioned that the road to corruption is comfortable…

That was all. And we turn the page.
As somebody said our new president has been in office for six months after 12 years of a prior family government which left its traces.

Please pray for us ,and patience and unity. And our soccer boys joyfully playing away from the streets and trouble!
God bless you

 

[dshix]

In the first message of this thread it was stated that the number 666 was NOT the reason for Pope Francis to reject the donation.

Well:

…but the Pope turned down the gift citing the fact it contained the figure 666…

Sounds to me like it was used as the excuse, even if it wasn’t the real reason.

 

[graciew]

Well:

Sounds to me like it was used as the excuse, even if it wasn’t the real reason.

666 was something the Pope took with a sense of humour…What we are talking about is one million dollars. That is no joke for our economy and exhorbitant for us and Scholas.
Scholas asked without malice…and it was ok to return it. The bonds between the Pope and Scholas have been nurtured throughout 20 years. He asked Scholas to help out in this time of hardships,to keep helping out. So it is fine.