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I can imagine Pope Francis put all wealth evangelists on notice by his sermons and remarks. Conservative America speaks out as a first warning to the pope in Rome. Also a reminder for the likes of Mitt Romney and ultra-Catholics as Rick Santorum, Paul Ryan and bishop Timothy Dolan.
Top talk show host lashes out at Pope Francis by Paolo Mastrolilli for Vatican Insider/La Stampa
Pope Francis is a Marxist and it is hypocritical of the Catholic Church to criticise capitalism when this is where it gets its funding from. US radio talk show host and political commentator Rush Limbaugh has unleashed his usual verbal abuse sparking a new debate. In this debate one can make out an underlying resentment felt by US conservatives towards Francis.
What triggered Limbaugh’s verbal attack was the “Evangelii Gaudium” which he criticised in a show titled “It’s Sad How Wrong Pope Francis Is (Unless It’s a Deliberate Mistranslation By Leftists)”.
As usual America’s most popular far right wing commentator was bold in his criticisms: “It’s sad because this pope makes it very clear he doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to capitalism and socialism and so forth.” Limbaugh describes Francis’ “Evangelii Gaudium” as an assault on the “new tyranny” of unfettered capitalism and an attack on the “idolatry of money”.
“I have been numerous times to the Vatican. It wouldn’t exist without tons of money. But regardless, what this is, somebody has either written this for him or gotten to him. This is just pure Marxism coming out of the mouth of the pope. Unfettered capitalism? That doesn’t exist anywhere. Unfettered capitalism is a liberal socialist phrase to describe the United States. Unfettered, unregulated,” Limbaugh said.
The talk show host then spoke out against the evils of socialism and the benefits of capitalism, supporting the “trickle-down” economic policies that the Pope has criticized.
Continued below the fold: Pope Francis own style of communication
Francis’ surprise nomination as “European communicator of the year”
“Francis speaks to everyone through his power of communication.” At 12:30 today the Pope received the prestigious international journalism prize “Argil: European man” for his gift as a global communicator.
“In the space of ten months, Pope Francis has turned the style of papal communication around. He wants speed, spontaneity, sincerity and conviction. His communication is global. Pope Francis speaks to everyone. He has no preferences because everyone needs his word which transforms into a message. Francis doesn’t like intermediaries in communication. His message is universal and it is addressed above all to the world’s existential peripheries. His national and international visits (Lampedusa, Rio de Janeiro, Cagliari, Assisi) illustrate this communicative force which is more extraordinary than ordinary.
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The Pope also touches on the issue of the family, which will be discussed at the next Synod, and responds to US critics who accused him of being “a Marxist.”In response to the criticism he received after the publication of the “Evangelii Gaudium” from ultraconservatives in the US who accused him of being a “Marxist”, the Pope remarks: “Marxist ideology is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don’t feel offended.” But, he points out, “there is nothing in the Exhortation that cannot be found in the social Doctrine of the Church.”
Clearly Pope Francis is resetting the teachings of the Church to the Second Vatican Council of the popular and revered Pope John XXIII, who will be granted sainthood in 2014. From my post in 2012:
Declaration On Religious Freedom “Dignitatis Humanae”
Teachings of John Henry Newman were part of liberalism characteristic of the Second Vatican Council on matters of religious freedom and the role of conscience. Each person has the duty to search for the truth, however external coercion is disavowed by both the church, bishops and civil government. This balans has been put aside by the very conservative bishops in the US who impose the infallibility of papal bulls and their own moral interpretation of matters in civil society. This is contrary to the moral teachings on religious freedom of the Second Vatican Council. The bishops during this Council were not addressing just their members, rather the Council wished to communicate in openness to the modern world.
Full writings here.
John Henry Newman’s motto: “Cor ad cor loquitur.”
My previous diary – Pope Francis Moves Towards Engagement.
