Long Live Pope Francis

 "Prophecy makes noise, uproar, some say ‘a mess.’ But in reality, the charism of religious people is like yeast: prophecy announces the spirit of the Gospel.”  Pope Francis.



In todays episode of "Unless you are living under a Rock" you know about the AMERICA article. THE AMERICA ARTICLE. The one where Pope Francis gave long interviews to Jesuits who wrote all about him in a long article. Not a spontaneous fly by the seat of your flying. If you don't know about it just google Pope Francis America Magazine. America Magazine is the pre-eminent national Jesuit publication in America. Hence, the title.

     Commentators far more learned than I in things ecclesiastical are breaking it down. My synopsis is this: Pope to Conservative Wing-Nut subsidiary division: Get A Life Already.

     This is a kinder, gentler, Pope. One who calls himself a 'sinner' -not as Fr. James Martin, S.J. points out in a self laudatory manner like "sinner redeemed" or "beloved sinner"- but in a more self depricating way where he is convicted of his humanity. Like all of us. Sinners. Skanky even.

     The headlines grabbed the political hot buttons. They read like "Get Over Yourselves" on the gay marriage and abortion shame politics. They read like - "you guys are obsessed" with things that are demeaning and diminishing the mission of the Holy Spirit.  Catechism is useless if not first predicated on the message of God's saving Love first. Otherwise it degenerates into a petty legalism that is more off-putting than inviting. Sometimes it runs riot over Love.

    The obsession has a pay-off or no one would do it. And the pay off is huge. Republican shame politics that drives some of the corruption of the gospel message is hard to miss in Washington where no one seems to make anything but issues. If you can generate a meme where we are the good guys and they are the bad guys you can use it to fundraise. Piles and piles of money are raised in fact on self-congratulatory dinners where people back slap at hundreds a plate on how they are the good guys fighting the corrupted evil guys who think 'marriage matters' for everyone.

  The word "traditional' tends to be a rallying point for more lobbying money. Traditional families, traditional morality, traditional male-female, traditional everything. Send in that Fiddler on the Roof guy. Yes, tradition is good. Some of them- slavery was a tradition and it was not so good. Women traditionally had no right to vote until 1920 in America. Hence, everything 'traditional" isn't intrinsically good unless it was a good tradition. I digress.

     Other words are lobbying rallying fundraising catchers like "catholic vote." Because unless you vote like us catholics think you should you can't call yourself catholic. Only we are catholics. You are catholic lite, or cafeteria catholics or , my favorite, just maybe Presbyterian.

     So the question remains, because the demonizing of the other side in polarizing politics is so prevalent and so keyed into the egos of needy young "what else am i supposed to do with my theology masters degree) people in Washington, will the Pope's comments make a difference. Will his plea to get some 'balance' back and stop 'obsessing' have any resonance. When he says STOP obsessing on gay people or what they want to do (some 2-5 percent of any given population) will people actually Get A Life and stop slandering gay people and those who think they are really wonderful nice humans?

   Will people start to think of jobs plans, ways to incentivize green technology developments, or how to harnass solar power for cars top the agenda over slandering people and ruining their social lives? Will people care more about decent affordable housing and exploitative housing practices? Or the other issues that plaque the despirately poor like shortages of good jobs at living wages, or child care costs for working single mothers?  or the fact that it costs the price of a small car to get dental work for people over 50 who have normal people over 50 dental issues?

     What energy and funds have been spent on bullying, ostracizing and demonizing gay people and anyone who said 'leave them alone'  that could have been productively spent on things that affect everyone?  Where does it say in Matthew 25, those who like gay people and want to treat them like humans go to my left to the netherworld??  There is not one mention of gay people in Matthew 25. When the Pope says get a balance, it is his nice way of saying- How Does This Love Your Neighbor?

   That should be the hallmark of every act, policy, lobby campaign, and budget inquiry in any Archdiocese- How Does This Love Our Neighbors.

    That's the only law you have to be worried about.

 

 http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2013/09/19/pope-father-martin-amanpour.cnn.html