The NY Times is reporting this morning on a statement from the Vatican : ” The pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis, and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects.”
Enough said. Now let’s move on.
Fred Rich LaRiccia
Please share widely!
I came to post the same exact thing … Lol
To add from the article:
“Pope Francis met with several dozen persons who had been invited by the Nunciature to greet him as he prepared to leave Washington for New York City,” the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said in a statement released on Friday morning, referring to the Vatican’s term for its embassy. ”
(Nunciature is just another word for embassy.)
A close advisor to Pope Francis tweeted that the Pope was, in his words, “exploited” by those who set up what the CBS 2 source says was a “meeting that never should have taken place.”
Some call it an attempt by highly placed church leaders in the U.S. to diminish the impact of the Pope’s visit.
Archbishop Cupich tried to downplay both the meeting and its significance.
“It is his way of saying that walls of communication need to come down. Meeting with someone is not an endorsement of that person’s position,” Cupich said.
Shit that could mean anything … Like “stay strong” on your diet! or or or Hey man I heard your mom has a cold, “Stay Strong!”
The Pope was “exploited”? Really?
That’s like the ball player who complains about a high and tight fastball. Welcome to the big leagues. In the old days before the “Designated Hitter”, a pitcher who struck a batter could count on being hit his next time up.
I think it’s time for some Catholic politicians to be very publicly threatened with excommunication.
Support of abortion, or lack of support on climate change?
Today’s threat, if it happens, will be because of at least
1. Forcing public policies of climate change denial, and
2. Public policies of exploiting the poor (along with the rest of the 99%), and
3. Public policy of scapegoating immigrants
I’m sure you agree that it was equally inappropriate for the Vatican to threaten similar sanctions against Catholic politicians (such as the late Robert Drinan) who supported access to contraception and abortion services.
If the Vatican takes an aggressive stance against elected officials who exploit the poor, then we may see incoming fire directed at local Massachusetts Democrats who have been promoting the Lottery and casino gambling.
If such involvement with public policy is inappropriate today, then it was inappropriate during the earlier right-wing phase. If it was appropriate during those years, then it is equally appropriate today.
The religious sword cuts both ways.
Bishops and cardinals. This looks to me like a push back from the culture warrior JPII bishops.
I agree that the impetus appears to be from those you cite.
Nevertheless, I suggest it is the politicians who are feeling and will continue to feel the heat. The meeting may have been arranged from inside the Church, but the very public gloating about the meeting was coming from GOP politicians.
Similarly, it is GOP politicians who are currently attempting to shut down the federal government in order to cut off all funding for Planned Parenthood. I suggest that those GOP politicians ought to be targets of Vatican attention if they continue on their current path and if the Vatican is serious about changing the national and international debate.
I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of those conservative lame duck clerics who masterminded this embarrassing screw-up.
I bet Frank will bide his time and then fire their sorry asses just like he did to the fool bishop who denied John Kerry communion during the 2004 presidential campaign that cost him Catholic votes; especially in Ohio where the vote was razor thin and the outcome determinative. It’s another reason, I believe, the Pope went out of his way to shake hands with Kerry during his entrance before his Congressional speech. To make up for the damage that idiot bishop had done by tilting the scales against the liberal in a presidential election—a blatant violation of separation of church and state.
That bishop was demoted from heading up the Church court and banished to the island of Malta !
Now that’s what I call PAYBACK !
Fred Rich LaRiccia
…but maybe that’s the United Church of Christ talking:)
Though Tom has a good point that some people are worthy of this treatment. This asshole is first on my list.
From CNN
Apparently same location and same day as the Davis meeting. This guy is trying to bring people together, not tear them apart.
“And if a person does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right,” – Pope Francis
Stay strong everyone!
Has anybody disagreed with this?
Do you have a particular “conscientious objector” in mind?
The Amish DMV clerk was a great analogous example from Tom. Amos has a right to get elected as a state officer and keep his signature off the licenses so he isn’t personally endorsing the driving of demonic horseless carriages, what he can’t do is stop issuing drivers licenses altogether, which is what Davis did and what the Vatican is now explicitly saying it is not endorsing; either her personal views or her particular legal case. She came to get blessed by the Pope on invitation of her local culture warrior bishop who just so happens to be the head of the American bishops conference that has made “religious liberty” their big issue and all but ignored Laudato Si. The day before the Pope spent a far longer time catching up with his longtime former student who happens to be gay, including extending a warm and direct greeting to his partner.
Uprated with another reminder that she belongs to a church that does not recognize the Trinity yet seeks a meeting with the Pope. The only plausible explanation is that she sought more political attention.
We need to acknowledge that there is a politically sophisticated machine that is promoting homophobia and is happy to exploit the Pope and the Catholic Church for their own ends (and again, I am not a Catholic but find it rotten that others use faith to score points).