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Francis in Cuba
From an editorial in the Washington Post:
The pope is spending four days in a country whose Communist dictatorship has remained unrelenting in its repression of free speech, political dissent and other human rights despite a warming of relations with the Vatican and the United States. Yet by the end of his third day, the pope had said or done absolutely nothing that might discomfit his official hosts.
Pope Francis met with 89-year old Fidel Castro, who holds no office in Cuba, but not with any members of the dissident community — in or outside of prison. According to the Web site 14ymedio.com, two opposition activists were invited to greet the pope at Havana’s cathedral Sunday but were arrested on the way. Dozens of other dissidents were detained when they attempted to attend an open air Mass. They needn’t have bothered: The pope said nothing in his homily about their cause, or even political freedom more generally.
Care for a contrast? Just look at this picture of Francis’s predecessor, St. John Paul II, embracing Lech Walesea, the leading dissident in Communist Poland. It is possible to reign as supreme pontiff, remaining, fundamentally, above politics — and yet to stand with those fighting for human liberty.
Photo above: AFP/Getty via the Telegraph
Published in General, Religion & Philosophy
That’s the problem, isn’t it? The line isn’t easy to find. The Pope doesn’t command armies (literal armies, that is) so moral suasion is all he’s got.
Sadly, though, it’s not difficult to imagine the Pope at the time doing just that—not because he was a Nazi, but because he was afraid of what would happen if he objected. (This much he admitted after the war). That is, he was afraid of making things worse.
Unless Pope Francis believed that he would make things worse for the dissidents themselves by objecting, it’s pretty hard to understand why the same man who beautifully embraced disabled children, lepers and juvenile delinquents wouldn’t stick up for the rights of those —whoever they were—who wished to attend a Mass.
What protests did Nixon make while in China?
BTW—I’m giving Francis the benefit of the doubt myself, though I’m not a Catholic. He’s done some really lovely things, and re-energised a lot of my Catholic friends, including one who, excommunicated after divorcing from her first husband at the age of 20, found out that she may now receive communion. Having spent the past thirty years assuring herself that she could care less…she was overjoyed.
You think the Pope is giving the bad guys a serious talking to?
On an apostolic visit? Is he supposed to do that?
That’s one of the points of my taking issue with the OP.
Who knows what took place in private.
I’m befuddled by Peter holding up JPII as “the way it’s done” when he did not meet with dissidents when he came to Cuba either.
Does every non-event have to be a controversy?
Sometimes when you don’t give your children cookies it’s because you don’t have any cookies to give.
Why was the comment in #35 redacted?
There was nothing intemperate about it.
Doug makes good points. But is the responsibility of every Christian, especially shepherds, to boldly speak truth as Jesus did.
Our instincts tell us to survive at any cost. But that is not the Christian way. We value some things more than life itself. We will suffer for speaking the truth. Others will suffer for our honesty. But more is gained in bold witness than is lost at the executioner’s hand.
I condemn nobody for choosing survival. But we are called to a difficult path.
How would y’all define prudence?
a) I didn’t hold up JP II’s visit to Cuba as the way it’s done but his 1979 visit to Poland.
b) By the time JP II visited Cuba, many years later, his anti-Communism was very well-established. Francis, by contrast, has done nothing to establish himself as anti-Communist. To the contrary. During his Vatican meeting with Raul Castro some months, Francis could hardly have proven warmer, offering the dictator not a word of reproach. Whereas JP II had no need to explain himself, in other words, Francis had every reason to let people know where he stood on human rights in Cuba
c) Although he didn’t meet dissidents, when JP II visited Cuba he made wider rights for the Catholic church part of the deal, negotiated before he ever set foot in the country. (Others here at Ricochet with better memories than mine may be able to fill in this point.) As far as I am aware, Francis insisted on no such concessions from the regime.
d) I don’t have time to look them up just now, alas, but I’m virtually certain that, in his public statements in Cuba, JP II made a number of statements that stressed the importance of freedom. (Again, I’m hoping someone here at Ricochet can fill in this point–or, if need be, correct me.) Francis did no such thing.
Sometimes it’s necessary for a Pope to meet with a bad guy. Sometimes it’s necessary for us to do that, too. The thing to be careful — very careful — about is whether you’re making any progress on your agenda while you’re unavoidably giving the bad guy stature and prestige by meeting with him.
On that subject, if I were Francis, I’d visit the US and cancel the White House circus. There’s nothing to be gained there except petty insults. They’re just not in good faith.
As for visiting Cuba, it’s unavoidable if you want to give those people the message that the Church hasn’t forgotten them. Castro has more control over how the event goes than Obama does.
I decided it was too snarky. (I like mixing it up with my friend from New Jersey Tommy, but not before my morning mug of coffee.) Posted the comment, regretted it, tried to delete it–and then ended up with an empty box. (Rob Long is right now shaking his head over my continuing inability to master the elements of blogging around here.)
Unbelievable. I’ve now put up almost the same post twice in a row. Rob must be laughing out loud.
Tommy, I’m off to grab that cup of coffee. I hereby place this thread under your recognizance.
Peter, I understand why you want to take a swatter to those bastard flies in Cuba. But Francis putting out a plate of molasses is hardly a Save the Flies campaign.
It’s pretty simple – Pope John Paul II was not a Marxist or anti-Capitalist.
Current Pope is – birds of a feather…
Peter, the following is from Katie’s pope thread. I’d be interested in your thoughts:
I actually hit “Like” on that comment . . . and I’m on my fifth cup of coffee.
Peter you’re inability to work your way around a keyboard is ingratiating to all of us over 50 who have the same difficulty.
Your putting up with me before morning coffee is commendable, and in an ironic twist, in keeping with Pope Francis’ message in Cuba to serve others (by putting up with me so the rest of Ricochet doesn’t have to).
Enjoy your java.
Peter, that is because when you attempted to “edit comment,” you hit “quote” instead. I’ve done that many times, so don’t feel bad. :) You can tell by comparing the comments to each other (well, and the fact that the second one is in a quote box).
So why is it that Francis is perfectly content to call out the evils of capitalism by name? Is he such a genius that he understands capitalists to be largely free and largely non-murderous, so he’s exercising “tough love” while winning over the communists with hugs and kisses?
I think there is a much simpler explanation.
Why shouldn’t he? Why shouldn’t we?
That sounds more like giving him the playbook than the business.
Because capitalism isn’t the problem.
Not sure the flies view it that way.
Hmmm. I wonder if he will be as careful not to utter a word which will cause discomfort when he addresses Congress?
You don’t know if that was in the cards. It may have been a deal breaker for the Castros, and so what would be the best path foreward, no Cuba visit or a hamstringed one?
I think Pope Francis felt a hamstringed one still gets the Christian message out to atheist Cuba and in time will undermine the communist government.
Peter you failed to mention that neither Popes JPII and Benedict XVI met with the Cuban dissidents. This is nothing new and the Church has made an assessment of the best path forward.
But I also dispute that the Holy Father has said nothing to promote the opposition. I don’t have the exact quote but yesterday in his homily he said “that people don’t serve ideas, people serve people” or something to that effect. I hope someone finds the exact quote. That’s a swipe at ideology, a swipe at Marxism.
The. Do you see that word? The. You used the word the.
Capitalism isn’t the problem.
That word in that sentence is the problem.