Don't be fooled into pretending it's real

Don’t be fooled into pretending it’s real

A day ahead of Ramadan, and of the final release of the Global Warming Encyclical, we have to ask, “At what point can we recognize that the things Pope Francis writes and says are not rooted in the Catholic Faith, but are merely blanket politically correct assertions?”  Pope Francis is really more like the “Pope Francis Show” than an actual Pope, isn’t he?

When I was a boy I used to laugh at the character of Archie Bunker.  He was so funny and he was in no way a hero.    Everyone on that show seemed realistic.  They always argued.  They were poor.  All In The Family was the top program for several years.

It wasn’t until much later that I realized that the point of Archie and Edith wasn’t our entertainment.  That show was created to confuse people.  It’s goal was the transformation of our culture – and it worked.

Much more brilliant than the acting and the punch lines was the creation of the characters.  Most of the thought went into building individuals who were normal, decent, and conservative, yet foolish, selfish, undisciplined, or ignorant.  That’s hard to do.  Archie and Edith were two people who would not actually exist.  That’s the whole point of television really, to create a false world. I no longer find that show very funny.

It’s in the same spirit I believe that the world is now treated to Pope Francis.  There is a lot of thought and preparation behind the character of Francis, and his performance is executed quite well.  The Pope Francis show may seem like a clumsy bull in a china shop but it isn’t slowing, or stopping to regroup.  It doesn’t think small.  It rolls up the whole world in its carpet.

Pope Francis has invited all faithful to welcome the Encyclical on the environment, entitled “Laudato si, on the care of our common home.”

Toward the end of his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father launched an appeal, saying, “Tomorrow, as you know, the encyclical on the care of the ‘common home’ that is creation will be published. This common ‘home,’” Pope Francis stated,  “is being ruined and therefore hurts everyone, especially the most poor.”

Is the world our common home or our commune?  Is it being ruined?  Where?  It looks beautiful to me, except perhaps on television, in suburbia, in a mall, or in most churches.  I don’t think Pope Francis is talking about ugliness though.  He’s talking about gases and Liberation Theology.

“Therefore, I would like to launch an appeal to responsibility, based on the task which God gave to man in creation: ‘to cultivate and protect’ the ‘garden’ in which humanity has been placed.”

“I invite all to welcome with an an open spirit this document, which places itself in the line of the Church’s social doctrine.”

What is an ‘open spirit?’  Isn’t that something a Christian should avoid?  Perhaps Pope Francis means being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit?  I think he says that a lot, but I don’t think he means it much.  Pope Francis really just wants us to be open to sets of lies.

How many times lately has the Vatican been forced to tell us this heterodox piece of propaganda is in line with the Church’s social doctrine, and before it’s even formally released?

What is the Church’s social doctrine anyway?  Isn’t it basically drawn from several somewhat conflicting encyclicals of the more recent popes?  Is that dogma?  Inasmuch as any of those letters are inconsistent with the full magisterium of the Church, they must be rejected.  Ignorance of the past is no excuse.

 

Looking very cardinal-esque

Looking very cardinal-esque

Here are the main speakers and topics for the upcoming National Catholic Reporter conference at Dominican University outside Chicago.

Is the National Catholic Reporter even Catholic? Their Bishop Finn didn’t think so.

Theology and Liberation: Deep Voices from the Global South

Maria Pilar Aquino, S.T.D.
In the current context of dominant global capitalism, new transformative processes have emerged encompassing social and religious actors, mobilization initiatives, and theological epistemologies, strengthening together the affirmation that another world is possible. This presentation explores the contribution of the deep voices from the Global South to those processes.

Liberation theology refresher course.  Time to bone up!

U.S Catholicism and the “New” Civil Rights Movement:  Back to the Future?

Rev. Bryan Massingale, S.T.D.
The recent killings of African Americans –especially but not only unarmed Black men — by police and other officials have launched a renewed movement to address systemic racism in our nation.  This presentation explores how this moment challenges the Catholic faith community to face the “unresolved racism” in its own life, as well as the opportunities for more engaged social reflection and justice ministry.

Ride the fake Obama racism bandwagon and contribute to crime, anti-white injustice, and destroyed black neighborhoods.

What might the new face of the church look like?

Jamie Manson
While the “Pope Francis Effect” continues to be a popular phenomenon, the level of disinterest in the institutional church continues to rise, especially among young adults. By exploring some of the new models of church that have been emerging among marginalized faith communities, this presentation will consider what forms of church may be meaningful and relevant to new generations of Catholics.

Marginalized faith communities?  This is cryptic.  Who do you think they mean?

“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”

Joan Chittister, OSB
Jesus stills calls us despite all the distractions and issues in the world and church. The way forward is rooted in the prophetic message of the gospel which demands that we seek a new way of being church.

FutureChurch: Jesus and the Gospel are calling you.  Sr. Joan knows what they want.

MASS – 4:30 p.m.

Mass for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time with Archbishop Blase Cupich as presider will immediately follow the conference for those who wish to attend. All are welcome.

Welcome to Chicago National Schismatic Reporter from FrancisBishop Cupich! (Good Bye Bishop Finn.)

 

Group of nine Communists, I mean comprehensible Christians

Nine Communists, I mean, comprehensible Christians

Why does Pope Francis keep talking about Communists?  I thought there weren’t any Communists any more.  Even China has a competitive market with worldwide manufacturing.  Russia has the most pro-Christian government in the world today, and Raul Castro loves Pope Francis so much he’s ready to seriously become a Catholic maybe.

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Tuesday morning. Following the readings of the day, the Holy Father reflected on the place of poverty in the Gospel, saying that the Gospel becomes incomprehensible if poverty is removed from it, and that it is unfair to label priests who show a pastoral concern for the poor as, “Communists”.

How is it that the work of Christ is meaningless if it’s not all about the poor?  It’s not. It’s only ‘incomprehensible’ to Francis and to his “Yoda of Catholicism,” Gustavo Gutierrez.  Every faithful Catholic since Christ has understood the Gospels without this hysterical poverty crusade.  That’s a new thing.

Still, why re-attach the Communist label?

Francis brings this label up himself time and again in the hopes he can shoot it down.  Because it fits.  That’s the problem with liberalism.  Its labels are apt so they employ word police.  Just trying saying ‘Mr. Jenner,’ or noting that women can be lachrymose.

In the 1st reading, which tells  of how St. Paul  organized a collection in the Church of Corinth, for the benefit of  to the Church of Jerusalem, whose members were facing great hardship. Pope Francis noted that, today as then, poverty is “a word that always embarrasses.” Many times, he said, we hear: “But this priest talks too much about poverty, this bishop speaks of poverty, this Christian, this nun talks about poverty … aren’t they a little communist, right?” On the contrary, he warned, “Poverty is at the very center of the Gospel: if we remove poverty from the Gospel, no one would be able to understand anything about the message of Jesus.”

Straw Man: When priests or nuns speak of poverty no one calls them Communists.  They call them Communists when they promote statism, forced redistribution, and endless unjust policy goals in the name of ‘social justice.’  That happens all the time, and that is Communist!

Then Pope Francis repeats one of his slogans yet again.

When faith does not reach the pockets it is not genuine.

I’m no Communist.  I only want to reach into your pocket so you can be a real Christian!