- Breaks glass where it is easy to get publicity for such vandalism
- World strains to see even a pebble “hurled” at communism’s glass house
- Vaguest offhand comment celebrated as momentous
- Most protected personage on the planet heads here to speak truth to power
- Irresponsibly if not sinfully out of touch regarding comparative economics, ecological progress, climate science, all to the detriment of the poor worldwide
- No dialogue with “capitalists”, just attacks
Pope Francis has hardly been reticent about criticizing capitalism or rich nations. Of course they are the freer nations and allow criticism. From them he has been free to criticize communist dictatorships and see to the promulgation of ant criticisms, and given the comparative level of evil between such systems, repeating the comparisons as necessary. But he has exhibited no such sense of perspective. From Pope Francis’ lips the flock would assume they are equally bad, certainly by way of emphasis.
His visit to Communist Cuba has been greatly heralded as somehow momentous when he is the third Pope to visit, and the others, especially Pope John Paul II, at far more tense times.
Note the breathless reporting by the AP about what turns out to be an offhand remark:
Pope presses message to Cuba: Be willing to change
The real “pressing” that counts is before the people because private messages to dictators can be kept from the public and lied about. If this is all he “pressed ” Cuba with, how pathetic. Consider the truth to power comments that rated such a description:
It was a theme Francis sketched out Sunday night in an off-the-cuff encounter with young people. He encouraged them to dream big about what their life could be like, and not be “boxed in” by ideologies or preconceptions about others.
“If you are different than me, why don’t we talk?” Francis asked the crowd. “Why do we always throw rocks at that which separates us?”
That’s all Cuba gets from Pope Francis, at a non-major event, ~~ don’t be boxed in by ideologies and don’t throw rocks.
Now consider this report about Pope Benedict speaking in 2012 on his arrival to the island, as reported in the Miami Herald (primary source) set forth here via Business Insider:
Cubans “wherever they may be” were in his prayers. He said he prayed for guidance for “the future of this beloved nation in the ways of justice, peace, freedom, liberty and reconciliation.”
The word liberty, a politically charged word, was not in the prepared remarks that had been distributed to reporters in advance of the pope’s arrival and was added by the pope apparently at the last minute. [Emphasis mine]
Popes are usually circumspect when it comes to directly criticizing governments. They don’t want to “showboat” their political opinions only to have the government they criticized take out their anger on local Catholics.
But while Benedict didn’t criticize the regime directly, he did so implicitly several times, including at the conclusion of his homily (full text here), where he urged Cubans to remake their society.
I appeal to you to reinvigorate your faith, that you may live in Christ and for Christ, and armed with peace, forgiveness and understanding, that you may strive to build a renewed and open society, a better society, one more worthy of humanity, and which better reflects the goodness of God. Amen.
An open society, a better one. Implicitly he is saying that the Cuban regime isn’t truly worthy of humanity itself.
This is strong stuff from the aging pontiff.
Again, the article above quotes Pope Benedict, not Pope Francis
R Mall
