Yes, Jesuits are the best brand of Catholics (think Seattle U and Gonzaga), but they're still not great. The new pope during the battle over gay marriage in Argentina: "Let's not be naive, we're not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God. We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God."
“Let's not be naive, we're not talking about a simple political battle; it is a destructive pretension against the plan of God. We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”
Also, while Jesuits might be the best brand of Catholics, let's not forget Brendan's piece on Jesuit child rapists in Alaska. http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-p…
There's something about a 76 year old virgin who thinks masturbation is a mortal sin talking about normal sexual development that is a bit odd.
Still, he's 76 years young. His experiences growing up in Argentina in the 40s will no doubt help him shepherd the Catholic Church through these modern times.
You could have written this article no matter who was selected as Pope. Article seems pretty pointless. Makes me think of a Communist leaflet announcing the election of President Bernie Sanders with, "New American President is just as much a private-enterprise loving, capitalist lackey as the last guy."
@4, no he wouldn't. He's whiter than white. Most Argentinians are. The Pope is from the very sizable Argentinian-Italian community, which pretty much runs Argentina. I wouldn't be surprised if he grew up speaking Italian in the home; his parents were born in Italy.
I assume we'll be seeing lots more about his views in coming days. I've seen him described as "reform-minded", but he's also been accused of collaborating with the junta. Nazi? Radical? Presumably somewhere in between. There was zero chance of a non-anti-gay pope or a non-anti-contraception or a non-anti-woman pope; there were no such candidates, and never will be. Those people aren't even in the church anymore.
The real open question is, "does he give a shit about the poor?" (also "does he know anything about banking reform?", the dirtiest little secret in the Vatican these days).
"The name's Francis, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I'll kill you. And I don't like nobody touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. Also, I don't like nobody touching me. Now, any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill you."
The doddering Cardinal Egan, fawning about what a good friend Francis is, did get off one good, self-deprecating line: "I feel like The Old Man and the See."
Neither Bri Wi nor one-time Seattleite George Weigel batted an eye.
Speaking of the Vatican banking system vis-å-vis the Pope, required reading is David A. Yallop's "In God's Name: An Investigation into the Murder of Pope John Paul I".
I wonder what he was up to during the Dirty War. It sounds like Catholic priests in Argentina on both sides of the Dirty War were involved in killings. "Catholic priest Christian von Wernich was found guilty of complicity in 7 homicides, 42 kidnappings, and 32 instances of torture, and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007."
What Proteus said @29...
Not that I wouldn't be thrilled for the Catholic church to actually get with the times, but I would have been surprised if he WASN'T against abortion, birth control, and gay marriage.
@44, Argentinian beef is vastly superior to most American beef, since it's all grass-fed, not stuffed with corn (which cows can't digest) on feedlots. Most US steakhouses would greatly improve their offerings if they went Argentinian. In fact, America has some of the worst beef in the world -- but such huge portions!
My estimation of US associations/stereotypes/whatever about Argentina (discarding incorrect ones that might actually be more popular, like Pinochet or something), in roughly descending order: Evita Peron, beef (mostly from the phrase "what does that have to do with the price of beef in Argentina?"), tango, Nazis in hiding, the currency crisis of a decade ago, the Falklands War, Jorge Luis Borges, Tierra del Fuego/penguins, gauchos...
Obviously, if you support gay marriage or abortion you aren't going to be the Pope. You just aren't. But given that Rome has never had a great relationship with the Jesuits, I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the Pope was Jesuit. Jesuits are like the "hippie liberals" of Catholic Prietshood. Including having been excommunicated for a couple hundred years because they were too open to learning from other religons and cultures instead just trying to stuff Catholic dogma down everyone's throats. I am not Catholic, but I went to a couple Jesuit Schools and I have a lot of resepect for Jesuit ideals around education and serving others.
As a born (but long-lapsed) Catholic, I find it so cute when non-Catholics wring their hands over the Vatican's lack of political flexibility. It is sweet, really, of them to think that any pope would be pro-choice or support the ordination of women or married men. The whole institution of the papacy is built around denying those things. There's never going to be a Pope Gorbachev or Pope Obama to sweep the bad old days away. The church is well aware that everything is rotting behind the scenes and they're doing their best back there with wire and duct tape (on walls and on protesting mouths), but if they let the façade crumble the church will be over.
@46 You are correct, sir. I grew up on South American grassfed beef and I can't eat steak here in the US. After the chewy, mega-flavorful beef you get there, American steaks taste like chewing on a big soggy dish sponge.
Not sure what people were expecting, this is one of the largest institutional monotheisms in the world. Patriarchal like all monotheisms. Surely we weren't expecting a political liberal, if so the essential medieval characteristics of the church would cease to exist.
Pope Francis - Chosen to fill the Chair of Peter, leader of over
the Billion + of we Catholics. Chosen by the power of the Holy Spirit to service all mankind. May God Bless him and all Christians.
Rare event, but I agree with Matt from Denver. Nothing can really make me care about the pope. Funny all this media hoopla over conclaves and the color of smoke every 10 years.
If I like anything catholic it's Teillard de Chardin or Teresa Avila, not some crusty representative of dead ritual. And please, about the gay stuff, it will take the pope as long as it took to see that Galileo was right after all.
The Bible says what it says, if you don't like it take it up with the author. When you characterize a person for what they believe, what does that make you? When the Bible talks about Sodom. it states they were worshiping idols and Jehovah heard the cry's of the children. Jehovah gave the adults over to a reprobate mind, then they went further into unnatural use of their body. When it comes to a child it is better to play it safe than be sorry. Every Christian is Catholic, we follow the Bible that the Catholic church approved for the world. The Catholic church is not perfect but the message is truth. Jesus Christ died on the cross so we may be forgiven our sins, that's the truth.
Thus spake Francis in 2010
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive…
"Lighten up, Francis"
(...or so I heard on the radio, the moderate part...not the future part; no one knows when the future will arrive!)
The dear girl lost that one.
I wonder what she's going to lose next?
Habeas pablum.
Still, he's 76 years young. His experiences growing up in Argentina in the 40s will no doubt help him shepherd the Catholic Church through these modern times.
I assume we'll be seeing lots more about his views in coming days. I've seen him described as "reform-minded", but he's also been accused of collaborating with the junta. Nazi? Radical? Presumably somewhere in between. There was zero chance of a non-anti-gay pope or a non-anti-contraception or a non-anti-woman pope; there were no such candidates, and never will be. Those people aren't even in the church anymore.
The real open question is, "does he give a shit about the poor?" (also "does he know anything about banking reform?", the dirtiest little secret in the Vatican these days).
"Voltaire went to a Jesuit school. He said later that he learned Latin and nonsense."
Neither Bri Wi nor one-time Seattleite George Weigel batted an eye.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla…
Not that I wouldn't be thrilled for the Catholic church to actually get with the times, but I would have been surprised if he WASN'T against abortion, birth control, and gay marriage.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/…
NYT headline: "Argentine Church Faces ‘Dirty War’ Past"
Somebody got some 'splainin' to do ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUspLVStP…
the Billion + of we Catholics. Chosen by the power of the Holy Spirit to service all mankind. May God Bless him and all Christians.
Sorry for the negativity. Carry on.
If I like anything catholic it's Teillard de Chardin or Teresa Avila, not some crusty representative of dead ritual. And please, about the gay stuff, it will take the pope as long as it took to see that Galileo was right after all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE3fw68vM…