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The Donald or The Francis?
From the front page of the New York Times online at this very hour:
ABOARD THE PAPAL AIRLINER — Inserting himself into the Republican presidential race, Pope Francis on Wednesday suggested that Donald J. Trump“is not Christian” because of the harshness of his campaign promises to deport more immigrants and force Mexico to pay for a wall along the border.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said when a reporter asked him about Mr. Trump on the papal airliner as he returned to Rome after his six-day visit to Mexico.
Getting hit with this for the first time as we were recording the Ricochet Podcast this morning, I responded squeamishly (to the immense amusement of our house Episcopalian, Rob Long), arguing that I owe fidelity to the Supreme pontiff only on matters of faith and morals–which is, of course, strictly true, but didn’t quite solve my problem.
We Catholics owe the pope a certain respect –he is, after all, the head of the oldest institution on earth and the direct heir, in unbroken apostolic succession, of St. Peter himself. But how — how — do we maintain even a patina of reverence when the man insists on becoming intensely political (as when, during his visit to Mexico, he went to the border to denounce this country’s immigration policy), when he says things that are simply unfounded (as when he claims we face an environmental apocalypse), and when he says things that are — well, that are just foolish (as in his attack on The Donald this morning. Has the pontiff ever noticed the walls that surround the Vatican?)
As I say, all this makes me squeamish — and I hereby throw it open to discussion to my friends here on Ricochet, in particular my wise fellow Catholics. Joseph Stanko? katievs? Are you there?
Published in Immigration, Religion & Philosophy
No, the problem is that they’re quoting him literally, rather than quoting what he would have said if he’d been more articulate/ fluent/ orthodox.
Thank you Peter for your honesty.
I’m not demanding anything of anybody. I’m lamenting bad attitudes.
I don’t see the Pope as you do, James. I look to him as “Papa”, as the Holy Father, elected by the Cardinals and guided by the Holy Spirit. I don’t look at him with suspicion and hostility.
When I listen to him, I listen as to a person I trust, not as to a politician or a text to be deconstructed and analyzed. I listen with an open heart and mind—not only to his words, but to his voice and gestures and acts and consistent witness, so that I can gather what he means in truth. (My trust in him isn’t blind, but well-grounded in what I have read and experienced of the Church and of him personally.)
Between a person who communicates and the persons who receive (or not) his message (when we are speaking of high and deep and subtle personal matters) there is always a gap—a gap that is filled (or not) by faith and trust.
The Pope is offering something to the world. I, for one, want to receive it. I wish more of my political friends and allies did too. I think their refusal is hurting them and our cause.
Katievs—thank you for a passionate and convincing defense of Francis.
I’d like to add two things: first, that it seems to me one of the things some of y’all object to in the Pope is that liberals like him. The “bridges not walls” and “Trump is not a Christian” may be poison for Trump supporters (perhaps especially Protestant ones?) but it is milk and honey to liberals of all stripes. Even my atheist liberal friends like Francis.
Second, and “however,” Francis unambiguously affirmed the sanctity of unborn human life this week, and as far as I know, a reporter didn’t have to fish for it. Listening to NPR coverage of the “walls not bridges, is Trump a Christian” kerfuffle, I listened in vain for them to take up the question “if building a wall to keep out illegal immigrants is unchristian, what about abortion?”
Sorry, “leftists” not “liberals.” (I’m trying to reclaim the word “liberal” so I can continue to call myself one).
If Donald was baptized, he’s a Christian whatever else Francis (or I) think of him. I doubt he’s darkened the doorways of too many houses of worship in his day, but that’s not the same thing.
I cut the Pope a lot of slack. He’s being queried by people looking for comments they can twist for their own purposes. I don’t doubt his commitment to the faith we share, but he does make remaining a Lutheran easier than his two immediate predecessors did.